Bandh affects normal life, remain largely peaceful

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 11: People walked to work today, the first day of the three-day bandh (strike) called by the Maoists, as vehicles stayed off the roads in Kathmandu. Shutters were down on all shops in the core city areas, although many shops in the interior remained open. All educational institutions were, however, closed.

Despite fears that the Maoists and their sister organisations would strike terror, the first day passed off relatively peacefully without any untoward incident, although Maoists continued to bomb and destroy public property and infrastructure in different parts of the kingdom overnight.

The CPN-Maoists had earlier called the bandh to protest the November 13 snap polls called by the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government after dissolving parliament. The rebels did not call off the bandh even after Deuba and his council of ministers were dismissed, and a new government was formed in October.

According to the Home Ministry, the bandh in Kathmandu passed off peacefully because of the effective mobilisation of the security forces. The government is firm to maintain security tomorrow, too, the Ministry said.

On the eve of the bandh, Maoist terrorists blew up the transmission centre of Nepal Television at Jaleswor in Janakpur, in central south Nepal, at nine Sunday evening, damaging two generators and other equipment. The damage has been estimated at Rs. 2 million. According to Nepal Television, transmission has resumed since five in the evening Monday.

And in Mahottari district, the Maoists set fire to the office of the Telecommunications Office, causing a damage of Rs. 1.5 million.

In Rauthat in central south Nepal, the Maoists have destroyed police posts and office buildings of three Village Development Committees in the district, our correspondent reports.

A group of terrorists with weapons exploded bombs at 11 Sunday night. As a result, police posts at Basantapur, Dharmapur and Sarmujawa have been completely destroyed.

Government property worth more than Rs. 3.6 million has been destroyed, said Chief District Officer Baburam Lamichhane, who also informed that official documents in the respective police posts and VDC building have been completely destroyed.

Previously, the Maoist terrorists had destroyed nine VDC buildings and seven police posts by exploding bombs in the same districts.

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