Kathmandu - The ethnic Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF)
Monday withdrew its crippling week-long general strike in southern
Nepal.
The MPRF move came amid growing signs that their strike call was
fizzling out in several districts in the southern plains known as
Terai.
President of MPRF Upendra Yadav told reporters in the capital
Kathmandu that his organization had decided to withdraw the strike
from Tuesday.
'We have decided to withdraw our call for general strike. But we
will continue blocking custom check posts and besiege government
offices,' Yadav said.
'We will start civil disobedience campaign and call on people not
to pay phone bills and taxes to the government,' Yadav told
reporters.
The weeklong strike had paralysed normal life in at least a dozen
districts in south and south-eastern Nepal closing down schools,
businesses and factories and halting traffic in major highways.
MRPF came under growing criticism following its decision to resume
general strike nearly a week ago to press their demands for the
resignation of home minister.
MPRF first began protests in early January calling for federal
structure of governance and proportional representation in the
electoral system.
After a month of violent protest in which at least 25 people died,
the government gave in to their demands.
However, MPRF refused to sit for negotiations saying Home Minister
Krishna Prasad Sitaula must resign on moral grounds.
Meanwhile, local administration has imposed curfew in the town of
Inarwa, about 190 kilometres south-east of the capital, following
violent clashes between students and MPRF supporters Monday
afternoon.
The clashes broke after MPRF supporters allegedly beat up students
who had gone to MPRF office to protest their strike. At least 35
people were injured in the clashes.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
USA
Your Talkback on this Story