Indefinite Bandh

There have been very few posts in a very long time because I have been very busy.  However…

Now that I’m basically under involuntary house arrest, afflicted with a Maoist-imposed vacation, I have finally gotten caught up on everything and have time to post again.

Too, I’m frustrated at the difficulty of finding online articles about the bandh.  I’m checking nepalnews.com, googlenews, and random articles suggested by friends, and compiling them for myself in a scrapbook so I can always remember:  “Ah, those were the days…”

In the meantime, I’ll aggregate some of my favorite articles here:

Maoist Strike Shuts Down Nepal; Gov’t Urges Talks
“Maoist opposition supporters armed with bamboo sticks enforced a general strike that closed transportation, schools and markets across Nepal on Sunday to demand the prime minister’s resignation.”

Maoist Strike Closes Down Businesses, Govt Offices
“With shops, businesses, factories, educational institutions in the capital and major towns across the country closed due to Unified CPN (Maoist) called general strike, the protestors are not even allowing government and private offices to run discreetly in various parts of the country on Monday.”

Travellers Warned of Disruption as Maoist-led Strike Shuts Down Nepal
“The international airport remains open although most people had to walk there carrying their luggage. The government has provided foreign tourists with free shuttle buses from the airport to their hotels.”

Tourists Hit by Maoist Shutdown in Nepal
“Buses carrying stranded tourists were allowed through Maoist roadblocks to the airport, witnesses said, adding that protesters checked that all passengers were foreigners.”

Hoteliers Urge to Ensure Free Movement to Tourists During Bandh
“Tourists who have come to Pokhara are not only stranded, but also unable to move around and eat.”

Maoist General Strike Strangling Business Community
“In fact, the business community has also lamented that the Maoists have repeatedly overlooked their plea to stay away from the activities that can ultimately lead the economy to collapse.”

Food Shortages Hit Nepal as Maoist Strike Enters Third Day
“Businesses were unable to bring fresh supplies to the capital Kathmandu and other cities across the Himalayan nation.”

Strike Deal, Call Off Strike: Civil Society

“Civil society leaders on Tuesday urged the government and agitating UCPN (Maoist) to instantly forge consensus and take back indefinite general strike to save the country from possible catastrophe.”

Maoists Form Human Chain Around the Capital
“Maoist cadres, mostly clad in red, brought from various districts and those in the capital lined up holding each other’s hand on both sides of the street along the 27-kilometre ring road… Thousands of Kathmandu locals, otherwise irritated with the Maoist bandh, stood beside the ring road and watched the human-chain made by the Maoists.”

Maoist Strike Brings Traffic to Halt
“Dang [district in western Nepal] — UCPN (Maoist) cadres have been using many vehicles to ferry people from villages to the district headquarters for their protests even as they have strictly brought public transportation to a complete halt during the general strike since Sunday.”

Maoists Attack Nepali Congress Leader’s House
“The Maoist cadres attacked the house of a senior Nepali Congress leader as the former rebels laid siege to the capital today in a political standoff with the government.”

Turn Likely, for Better or Worse
“The arrest of Maoist cadres with homemade weapons on the eve of the strike had raised fears of things taking a nasty turn. However, except for stray incidents, the protest has not erupted in any clash between the demonstrators and the police.”

Bandh Pictures
Various photo galleries on nepalnews.com with images from the May Day rally in the center of Kathmandu and the bandh since then.

Nepali of the Day:

thulo samasya:  big problem

sarkari:  government

maubodi:  Maoists

baaTo:  road

gaaDi:  car

manche[haru]:  people

videshee:  foreigner

paryatak:  tourist

pasal:  store

chha:  is

chhaina:  is not

bandh:  general strike

banda garnu:  to close