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Banda cripples life; peaceful, say police

KATHMANDU, JAN 25 -
Normal life in the Kathmandu valley and various other districts across the country was crippled on Wednesday, following a banda called by various student and youth unions to protest the January-19 hike in prices of petroleum products.

Thirteen student and eight youth associations close to various political parties said the government ignored their demand to roll back the prices and added that they would go for sterner protests if their demands are not met. All educational institutions, market places, shops remained closed while vehicles stayed off the roads since early Wednesday morning, until the banda was called off at five in the evening. Vehicles belonging to the Red-Cross, diplomatic missions, the press and human rights organisations, and ambulances and those carrying tourists were allowed to ply.

In the Valley, protesters gathered in front of colleges and major junctions, shouting slogans against the government. Police in Kathmandu said seven youths were detained from various parts of the Valley for their involvement in vandalism. According to SSP Rabi Raj Shrestha, the spokesperson at the Metropolitan Commissioner’s Office, seven vehicles, including two government ones, and a shop were vandalised by the protesters.

“The protest was peaceful and no untoward incident took place in the Valley, expect for a minor clash at Thapathali,” Shrestha said.

Around 2,900 security personnel were deployed in every nook and corner of the Valley.

The protesters have called a meeting on Friday to decide on their future protest programmes.

“We have called a joint meeting of 13 student and eight youth associations,” said Himal Sharma, the president of the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary.

In Sindhuli district, vehicles remained off the roads, while market places and educational institutions remained shut. Banda enforcers vandalised a passenger bus and a private jeep for defying the banda. Two protesters were injured when security personnel used force to disperse a mob.

In Dhanusha, six students were injured when banda organisers clashed with local businesspersons at Janakpur-7. Bijaya Sah, a student leader, said the locals and the police personnel took the protesters under control and severely thrashed them.

Students and commoners also enforced the banda in Dang district, demanding the government roll back the fuel prices.

Transportation was hit, while market places and educational institutions remained shut in Ghorahi, Tulsipur, Lamahi, Bhalubang and other places. Agitating students ransacked three government offices in the district.

In Parbat, security personnel detained six protesters when they tried to torch a motorcycle. The banda also affected life in various other districts, including Arghakhanchi, Kavre, Rasuwa and Banke.

Posted on: 2012-01-26 08:54

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