Locals in Baglung and Rukum hit the streets to protest the split of the districts, while the denizens of Nawalparasi welcomed the move. The three districts have been split in the federal set-up.

The deal on federal set-up has renewed people’s hope of putting an end to the protracted transitional period.

But various Madhes-based parties staged protests against the state delineation, saying that it was against the sentiments of Medhesi and Janajati people. In Baglung, the political parties, business community, rights activists and various professional organisations enforced banda in protest of the division in federal delineation. Transportation was disrupted and market places and educational institutions remained shut due to the banda.

In Pokhara, representatives of Adibasi Janajati expressed dissatisfaction at the deal, staging a protest coinciding with Adibasi Janajati day celebrations on Sunday. During a rally in Chipledhunga, they demanded for a Tamuwan state and asked political leaders to federate the country based on the regional identity.

The mood was, however, different in Nawalparasi where the locals had long been demanding a split of the district, formed by merging Nawalpur and Parasi. As per the proposed state delineation, Daunne will be a part of Nawalpur in state no 4 and Parasi a part of state no 5.

Likewise, people in Rukum took exception to the split of the district, with members of the civil society taking out a rally in Musikot, the district headquarters, on Sunday in protest of the decision. They vented their ire, saying that the division would hamper the integrity, social harmony and utilisation of natural resources of the district.

Situations in eastern, central and mid-western Tarai remained tense on Sunday.

Supporters of the Samyukta Madhesi Morcha in Morang and Janakpur protested against the deal on federal set-up and burnt copies of the agreement. The protesters burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala in Piradichok. Madhesi parities also took out protest rallies in Rautahat, Parsa, Kapilvastu and Banke districts.

Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum, Tarai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, Sadbhavana Party, CPN Maoist and Tarai Madhesh Sadbhanvana Party burnt effigy of major polical leaders at Tribhuvan Chok in Nepalgunj on Sunday.

There were also protests in Surkhet with representatives of political parties and civil society starting an agitation demanding an undivided Mid-West.

In Jajarkot, civil society leaders have announced a peaceful protest against the agreement and demanded Surkhet be made the state capital of an undivided Mid-West.

The response in the Far-West has also been mixed over the decision to Kailali and Kanchanpur. The supporters of ‘undivided’ Far-West welcomed the Saturday night’s agreement, albeit with concerns for the development of the hills in the big proposed state. The Tharus in Kailali and Kanchanpur, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the state delineation, saying that the inclusion of Tharuhat area in the state No 6 was against their community.

In Mugu, representatives of political parties and civil society called for a general strike in the district against the decision to retain Karnali in the undivided Far-West state. Demanding that Karnali be declared a separate state, the protesters argue that Karnali would lose its identity if integrated into state No 6.

(Our local correspondents contributed to this story)

Lawmakers unite against proposed Baglung split

KATHMANDU:  Lawmakers from Baglung, Myagdi and Mustang districts have expressed serious reservation over the decision of the four major parties to diviside Baglung into two states under the proposed federal setup.

The disgruntled lawmakers, led by Chitra Bahadur KC and Shree Maya Thakali, met Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee Chairman Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday and submitted a letter expressing their disagreement to the decision of dividing the territory of Baglung district between the proposed state-4 and state-5. The agitating lawmakers accused that the top leaders of the major parties arrived at the decision without even bothering to hear out what the parliamentarians representing Baglung district had to say.

They have formed a committee to protest the decision. Meanwhile, the political parties and FNCCI Baglung chapter enforced a banda in Baglung on Sunday in protest of the federal set-up.