Kathmandu: Defying Maoists' pledge that they will not call any strike ahead of the Nepal Tourism Year 2011, a student union affiliated to them on Friday enforced a shutdown in the famous tourist hub of Pokhara in protest against the arrest of their cadres during a clash with a rival faction.
A couple of months ago, top leaders of 18 political parties, including opposition Maoist chairman Prachanda, had signed a document vowing not to call strikes and agitations in the wake of that Nepal Tourism Year 2011 aimed at bringing in one million tourists.
Despite the pledge, the All Nepal National Independent Students' Union Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), organised a shutdown in Pokhara paralysing life there. They were protesting against the arrest of their cadres during a clash with rival student group belonging to the ruling CPN-UML.
They went ahead with their protest despite authorities releasing their arrested cadres as demanded by them. The vehicular movement in and out of Pokhara was disrupted and markets and educational institutions remained closed there.
Pro-Maoist students also organised demonstrations on the streets of Pokhara. Authorities deployed a large number of security personnel in Pokhara, fearing clashes between the two rival student groups.
The breakaway faction of the former rebels, the CPN (Maoist) led by Matrika Yadav, also enforced a shutdown in the neighbouring Shyangja district in protest against an attack on their cadres by Unified CPN (Maoist) activists.
PTI
First Published: Friday, April 23, 2010, 15:49