After shutting down the country for two days, the protestors called off their strike early Saturday morning. The Brahmins, Chettris, Dashnamis and Dalits organised a press conference in the capital this morning and said they were calling off their protest program due to Saakela festival of the Kirat community but stated further protests will be declared by evening. At a time when the country is ravaged by ethnic clashes, the move has demonstrated deep respect shared by various communities towards each other's culture.
Transportation is slowly getting back to normal and shops have opened across the country. The news of protest being called off was greeted with applause in the capital, but it failed to bring any relief to the people of Far-West where the protests have turned more violent.
The growing shortage of food and medicine in the region paralysed by 16 days of strikes has created a humanirarian crisis. Although a team of protestors have arrived in the capital to hold talks with the government, thousands more demanding undivided Far-West and the another group calling for a Tharuhat state continue to clash with each other in Dhangadi. More than three dozen protestors on both sides were injured in the clash yesterday and according to an unconfirmed report this morning, a man was found dead on the border between Kailali and Kanchanpur.
In the last few days, thousands of people have been brought to Dhangadi in buses from all over Kailali and Kanchanpur district by Tharuhat Sangharsha Samiti spearheading the Tharuhat movement, but those injured now find themselves struggling to pay for treatment and find food.