“Let this banda be exemplary and peaceful. No terror and violence, no tyre burning, no vandalism…”, NC leader Arjun Narsing KC sent a media circulation after the party’s central committee decided to go ahead with the nationwide strike late on Sunday. But the NC cadres deployed since the wee hours, armed with bamboo sticks had already vandalised at least two vehicles by 9 am.
As the day progressed, more cadres joined and amidst sloganeering even people cycling their way to work were threatened and in some cases manhandled. Thirteen year old Madan Ghimire was thrown down from his cycle by an irate mob in Shantinagar, which included small kids as young as 9years old. “ I had come to see the banda, they gave me this flag and I am enjoying making people get down from their bikes and cycles”, says a third grader Hritik Shrestha.
In Putalisadak, Nepal Student Union leader Subharam Basnet spoke to media and justified the strike saying, it was their democratic right to protest. Asked about the impact of banda on commoners, especially the daily wage earners, Basnet said that the party had given people three days time to prepare.
Although KC insists on calling today’s banda as a Gandhian satyagraha, by the time the banda was lifted there were reports of at least 16 vehicles vandalised and 2 vehicles set on fire. The unruly NC cadres also wrecked government offices in Palpa, Pokhara and Kanchanpur.
Nepal Police reports detaining 32 vandals, including three in Biratnagar.
“More reports are coming in and final assessment of the damage will be
released soon”, the source said.
