NEPALGUNJ, Feb 9: The ethnic-based Tharu Kalyankari Sabha has extended its strike in Tarai till Monday protesting alleged arrest and beating up of its workers during the strike. [break]
Hundreds of passengers remain stranded midway due to the strike.
The group had called a two-day strike in Tarai districts to protest against categorization of Tharu community as Madhesi in the new ordinance.
Rajkumar Lekhi, the group´s general secretary, said police have arrested its 68 cadres during the strike.
“Many of our cadres were injured in police baton-charge. Our 41 injured cadres are receiving treatment in Dharan. We have extended the strike by one more day to protest police atrocity,” Lekhi said.
Strike in Simara, Bara on Monday.Upendra Lamichhane
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He said the group will announce more protests on Monday afternoon.
Various ethnic communities including Tharu have been categorized as Madhesi in a new ordinance.
“There are only mountains, hills and Tarai in Nepal. Madhes exists only in India and not in Nepal,” he said.
The group is against "one Madhes state", a demand of majority Tarai parties, and wants a separate Tharu autonomous state.
The protestors have placed tree trunks to obstruct the highways in many places.
