Nepal trike upsets normal life
Kathmandu, Aug. 22 (PTI): Life was paralyzed in central Nepal, including the capital, today following a strike called by a pro-Maoist ethnic group to press for autonomy.
Nepal Rashtriya Tamang Mukti Morcha (NRTMM), a Maoist affiliated ethnic group, called for strike in Kathmandu and nine other districts of central Nepal demanding autonomy for the region where majority of the Tamang community reside.
Transport services were halted and markets, schools and colleges remained closed in the nine districts. Two-wheelers were plying and markets in inner areas of Kathmandu were partially open.
Security was tightened in the capital with riot police deployed in government offices and other sensitive areas.
The strike came as Maoists announced their 22-point demands, which include declaring Nepal a republican state, and warned of a fresh agitation if they were not met before the Constituent Assembly polls in November.
Besides Kathmandu, the districts affected by today's strike are Makawanpur, Sindhupalchowk, Kavrepalanchowk, Makawanpur, Dhading, Nuwakot and Rasuwa.
According to analysts, the former rebels, who have apparently lost support in the Terai region following an agitation by ethnic Madhesi groups, are keen to strengthen their hold over the rest of the country mainly in the hilly region and Kathmandu.
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