Normal life in nine districts of eastern Nepal has been crippled due to a strike called by the Federal Limbuwan State Council (FLSC) in the region demanding, among others, an autonomous Limbuwan state.
The shutdown strike or bandh has direly affected Taplejung, Panchthar, Illam, Jhapa, Terathum, Dhankuta and Morang, including few other districts, bringing transportation there to a halt and closing down local markets.
Passenger buses and vehicles from elsewhere in the country have been stranded in the east-west highway passing through some eastern Nepal districts due to the transportation strike imposed by the group in the region, causing serious discomfort to the travelling public. Reports said long lines of buses and vehicles have formed in the highway owing to it, unsure when the group will lift their strike.
President of FLSC Sanjuhang Palungwa has said that the strike was called in protest of government's failure in implementing the past understanding reached with the group which includes declaring its activist who was killed during one of the protest programmes organized by the group as "martyr", extending financial help to another activist undergoing treatment in Siliguri, India and releasing its activists who were taken into custody on various occasions in the past.
He also accused the main political parties of engaging in power politics instead of forging consensus to prepare the new constitution of the country. So, we have called this strike against that tendency too, said Palungwa.
Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have started joint operations in the eastern hilly districts as per the government's controversial new Security Strategy Plan to clamp down on the growing unrest in the region.
