He is having difficulty in feeding his family and to compound matters, his stock of fresh vegetables is rotting in lack of business for two days. “I used to have a business of up to Rs 5,000 on normal days. But I have not been able to sell vegetables worth even Rs 100 due to the banda,” rued Nepal, who hails from Singfiring in Ilam.
The three-day general strike has hit vegetable vendors, whose livelihood is dependent upon daily business, hard. They say the Maoists´ pursuit of ´civilian supremacy´ through strike has violated the supremacy of common people.
“The vegetables will be destroyed due to this banda,” Leela Shrestha of Peepalbot said pointing at the vegetables at her stall. “How can we sustain our livelihood in this scenario?” she wondered. She had a business of just Rs 100 on Monday and said the banda has hit common people like her who support their families by toiling hard throughout the day.
“We may manage to live somehow, but how can our children survive?” wondered Tul Prasad Nepal of Godak-7, who brings vegetables to Ilam after walking for three hours.
Ravi Shrestha also has similar story to tell. Shrestha, who came to Ilam from Panchthar four years ago, he has been earning his livelihood, like numerous others in the area, by selling vegetables. “The banda enforcers may look after their interests. But who will hear our plight?” Shrestha questioned.
Vegetables worth hundreds of thousands are decaying due to the strike. Farmers complain that thousands of kilograms of tomato, leafy vegetables, cabbage and cauliflower have been left to rot at fields in lack of transportation facility.
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