Police trying to stop protesters from marching towards government buildings in Jajarkot on Thursday. Pic: Rajendra KarkiViolent protests, clashes and shutdowns continue in several parts of the country over the six-province federalism deal.
A regional political outfit on Thursday enforced a general strike in eastern Nepal demanding an autonomous Limbuwan province. Normal life was badly affected by the strike called by Federal Limbuwan Party, which has demanded a Limbuwan province comprising nine districts east of the Koshi River.
"The eastern province comprising 14 districts is too big, we just want a province of nine districts," the party's Chair Kumar Lingden had told a press conference just a few days ago.
In Jumla district, a general strike enforced by the locals demanding a separate Karnali province entered fifth day on Wednesday. They have rejected integration of the Karnali zone with the far-western province. Two dozen people were reportedly injured in a clash between police and protesters.
In Bardiya, the Tharuhat Struggle Committee's general strike reached the third day on Wednesday. In Banke, cadre of the Tharuhat party have vandalised three ambulances for 'defying' their strike. The Tharus are up in arms against integration of Kailali and Kanchanpur districts with the far-western province. They want these districts to be part of the province 5, which they see as their Tharuhat state.
Violent clashes erupted in Jajarkot, too. The irate locals ransacked various government offices objecting to integration of the mid-western region with the far-western province. Police had to resort to baton-charging to disperse protesters.
In Surkhet, which has been the flash-point of a street movement for an undivided mid-western region, the local administration did not impose curfew on Wednesday. The administration had been imposing curfew every day since Sunday. Three people were also killed in police firing and stampede.