From today's paper
on Adventures in Nepal (Nepal), 27/May/2011 07:37, 34 days ago
_uacct = "UA-3483228-1";urchinTracker();Nepal? Beautiful. Nepali people? Beautiful. Nepal political system right now? Not so pretty.Photos above not taken by me. I am in, my quiet and peaceful part of town, away from the craziness of protests, clashes, and vehicle burning these days.Strikes Hit Life in the Valley, Elsewhere.May 27th, 12:35 pm.KATHMANDU: Normal life has been affected in Kathmandu Valley due to the general strike called by various groups since early Friday morning.No private and public vehicles are running due to the strike. Educational institutions and marketplaces and businesses have remained closed. Vehicles belonging to emergency services providers have however been allowed to ply on the road.The strike has turned violent in several places, with the bandh enforcers vandalizing at least four vehicles in different locations including Sukedhara, Banasthali and Dilli Bazar of Kathmandu Valley.Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party, Bishwo Hindu Mahasangh and others have enforced the bandh to press for non-extension of the Constituent Assembly (CA) term. The current mandate of CA is expiring tomorrow.The strike enforcers have also asked to declare Nepal as a Hindu state and not to restructure state along ethnic lines, among other things.Activists of Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party are scheduled to picket the CA building violating the prohibitory orders later this afternoon, protesting the CA’s failure to give the country a new statute.Likewise, strikes called by the Brahmin Samaj and the Chhetri Samaj have affected normal life in most of the eastern districts including Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari and Dhankuta.Thousands of passengers have been stranded on the road along highways due to the strikes in Dhading and Makawanpur districts.