National
Dhankuta shut again to demand state headquarters
People advocating for Dhankuta as the capital of Province 1 enforced a banda in the district on Thursday, causing hardship for general public.People advocating for Dhankuta as the capital of Province 1 enforced a banda in the district on Thursday, causing hardship for general public.
Previously, the committee behind the ongoing capitalhood protest had shut the district for six consecutive days before it announced on Monday to withdraw the banda, citing inconveniences faced by people. The protesters organised peaceful demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday, only to revert to banda on Thursday, much to the vexation of the ordinary citizens. Transportation sector was hit hardest by the banda. Vehicular movement along the Dharan-Dhankuta road was disrupted, owning to which many people were either stranded or forced to cancel their travel plans. Schools, factories, shops and other business establishments in Dhankuta were also closed.
Protesters took to the streets from early morning staged demonstrations at places like Zero Point, Atmara Dhat, Debrebas and Kagate areas. A protester said that the decision to call for the shutdown was based on the reports that the Cabinet meeting on Thursday was set to decide the provincial capitals. The Cabinet meeting has been postponed for Friday because Thursday was a public holiday on the occasion of National Unity Day.
The protest committee, which has been organising various forms of protest for the past one month, has called for a two-hour banda from 8 to 10am on Friday to draw the government’s attention and to exert pressure.
The protesters have claimed that Dhankuta, being the administrative centre of the eastern region, is adequately equipped with the infrastructure and the facilities to become a state capital.
Dhankuta, however, is not the only place in Province 1 gunning for the status of state capital. The other places that is in the race to become the provincial headquarters are Biratnagar of Morang and Itahari of Sunsari.
Elsewhere, demonstrations for state capitalhood are also taking place in Dipayal of Doti district in Province 7, Birgunj of Parsa district in Province 2 and Butwal of Rupandehi district in Province 5.