Locals in the district staged protests demanding that the mid-western region be kept intact while demarcating the country into provinces. They also demanded that Surkhet district be developed as the capital of the new province.Locals turned irate as some districts of the region were included in federal province number 6 comprising most of the far-western districts while other mid-western districts were included in another province comprising the Lumbini region.
Though the locals had launched their protests since Saturday, the peaceful demonstrations took a nasty turn Monday morning when demonstrators stormed the office of the drinking water and sewerage corporation at Jhupra and set it on fire.
Angry protestors then set the house of Nepali Congress leader and lawmaker Purna Bahadur Khadka on fire.
"Police were compelled to fire into the air as the protestors resorted to vandalism and other violent activities," said Chief District Officer of Surkhet, Baldev Gautam. "We are yet to assess the losses and damage incurred during the clash."
The local administration clamped a curfew from 1 p.m. till evening. However, Tikaram Gautam of Birendranagar-4 was shot dead by police within 10 minutes after the curfew was enforced. Yam Bahadur BC was shot dead by police during curfew hours at 5 pm.
Protestors set fire to several offices, including the district development committee office, Birendranagar Municipality office and the party offices of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist). They also set fire to the vehicle of district police chief SP Rajesh Kumar Lal Karna.
They broke to pieces a CCTV camera, television set and other equipment at the district administration office and then set fire to furniture and important documents at the UCPN (Maoist) office. They also vandalized the offices of the NC, UML and MPRF-Democratic.
Journalist Aising Rokaya of local Bulbule Radio was shot at by police while covering the protests. After sustaining a bullet injury in his right leg, Rokaya is undergoing treatment at the mid-western regional hospital.
Though CPN-UML politburo member Yamlal Kandel and some other local politicians had led peaceful demonstrations on Saturday, they were not to be seen during the protests on Monday when people appeared to be participating in the protests spontaneously.
Tej Bikram Basnet, who led the Akhandar (undivided) Mid-West Campaign on Saturday, said he was unaware of Monday's protests.
Locals in neighboring Dailekh and Jajarkot districts also protested, demanding that the mid-western region be kept intact and Surkhet be declared the capital of the province.
The protestors have also announced an indefinite general strike in Surkhet starting Tuesday.
Meanwhile, locals in Mugu, Kalikot, Jumla and Humla districts have launched agitations demanding that Karnali Zone be made a separate Karnali province. They have protested against the inclusion of the zone in the far-west province.
Likewise, demonstrations were held in Salyan and Rukum districts demanding that Rapti Zone also be kept intact in the federal system.
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