RAUTAHAT, Sept 14: The indefinite banda called by various Madhes-based political parties has exceeded over a month, crippling ordinary life and bringing normal activities in the Tarai districts to a complete halt.
Enraged protestors obstructed highway at various places of Rautahat district on Monday, a day after three of their friends got injured in police firing while they tried to breach the curfew order imposed by the local administration.Mairudin Ansari of Akolwa, Lal Babu Patel of Gaur-7 and Chandesab Baitha were injured in police firing. Ansari and Patel, who were critically injured in the incident, were airlifted to the capital for further treatment on Sunday evening. Both of them sustained bullet injuries in the abdomen.
The District Administration Office (DAO), Rautahat, imposed curfew from 12 noon till 7 pm in the evening on Sunday. However, Chief District Officer (CDO) Madan Bhujel informed that the prohibitory orders are still intact as the district is still a riot-hit zone.
All the markets, banks, financial institutions and educational institutions at the district headquarters Gaur, Jhunkhunwa, Sukadev Chowk, Shiva Nagar and Garuda remained shut down on Monday as well. Daily lives of traders and laborers have been severely affected while vehicular movement of long and short distance routes still remain in disarray. Transport entrepreneurs, who have taken loan to run their business, fear of massive loss after being deprived of running their day-to-day business for over a month.
Locals have been hard hit by the protests since the Rastrya Banijya Bank, Nepal Bank Limited, NIC Bank, Janta Bank and other financial institutions stopped their business owing to the volatile situation in the district. Those institutions have halted their business following the local administration's decision to declare the district a riot-hit zone on the night of August 24.
Despite having money in their accounts, people are deprived of spending. People in the region have been facing acute shortage of daily essential goods, including petrol and cooking gas.
Bijaya Kishor Jha, secretary of Civil Society said that the banda called by the Madhesi Morcha as well as the local administration's decision to enforce curfew, riot-hit zone and prohibitory area and the mobilization of army have severely affected the lives in the region.
Meanwhile, the protestors defied prohibitory orders since early morning on Monday, obstructing road at Jhanja Bridge at Garuda.
Bhumadhya Chaudhary, a leader of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha, informed that their cadres obstructed roads in Balchanpur, Dumariya, Basantapur and others places. Even motor cycles, carts and cycles could not be operated due to obstructions in the roads.
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