“The food in market has already been consumed,” Rabindra Mani Kafle, the secretary of Chamber of Industry and Commerce said. “If additional food does not arrive within a couple of days, we have to remain hungry.” [break]
Due to strike, no consignment has reached the district headquarters.
The Unified CPN (Maoist) called the indefinite strike demanding the release of cadres who were arrested while vandalizing District Administration Office and Land Revenue Office during a previous strike. They were booked under Public Offense Act.
They have also demanded to declare of three cadres killed in Bara district by an unidentified gang on January 6 as martyrs and compensation to their families.
The market and transportation remained closed since the first day of strike while the educational institutions were also asked to close down last week.
“Even common medicines have become scare,” Kafle told Republica over phone. “Although the strike has invited crisis, the concerned bodies are not worried.”
The Maoists have not sat for talks with the administration. They had put the release of arrested cadre as a pre-condition for talks.
“The administration is not serious on our demands,” Maoist district in-charge Suman Patangwa said. “Unless the administration addresses our demands in a package deal, we will neither end the strike nor sit for talks.”
Most of the government offices have remained closed after Maoist cadres threatened the employees.
Chief District Officer Iswor Raj Regmi accused the Maoists of employing non-political methods to continue the strike. He also added that he is serious about Maoist demands and that he is talking with the Home Ministry.
“I am in contact with the ministry about their demands,” Regmi said. “I have also repeatedly asked Maoists to sit for talks, but they are not flexible.”
Regmi further said that the arrested Maoist cadres attacked the DAO and that they would not be released. “They wanted to destroy the office,” he said.
The party has also extended the strike to Panchthar district from Saturday.
Three Maoist cadres – Lagam Limbu, Laxmi Banem and Rajendra Limbu -- were killed last year in various incidents.
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