Hundreds of passengers on Friday morning left for nearby villages in search of food. They also encircled the Armed Police Force barracks at Bhaluwang demanding police help to rescue the stranded.
"We don’t have drinking water. Local eateries have run short of food. We are not getting food although we are already paying high prices for food. The situation is getting serious," said Khadak Bohara, the Banke chapter President of Private and Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON) who is among the stranded. He had left Kathmandu four days ago.
Passengers are stuck in the area for the past five days. Things have gone worse as most of the passengers are already short of money. "It’s like we are in a natural disaster," said Kul Deep Poudel, one of the stranded passengers.
Cadres of Tharuhat Joint Struggle Committee, who are spearheading the strikes, have felled down trees on the road to obstruct vehicular movement. Ethnic Tharu people are protesting the listing of Tharus under Madhesi category by the government. They say the protests will continue until the government delists Tharus from Madhesi category.
Acting Chief District Officer of Dang Radha Krishna Sharma said they are trying their level best to find ways to provide relief to the stranded passengers.
Locals Chamber of Commerce and Industry has taken initiative to arrange food for the passengers Friday morning. Acting CDO Sharma said local Red Cross has also assured that it would arrange food for the stranded passengers.
A team comprising representatives of National Human Rights Commission and other rights organizations including Insec, and a number of journalists has left Kathmandu for Bhaluwang to take stock of the situation in Bhaluwang.
Decision to list Tharus as Madhesi is unauthorized: Mahara
Meanwhile, government spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara has said the government has not taken any decision to list Tharus under Madhesi category. He termed the decision made by a committee formed under Law Minister Dev Gurung to box various 92 castes including Tharus under Madhesi group as ´unauthorized.´
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