Maoists threaten nationwide strike

Tika R Pradhan

KATHMANDU: As part of its third phase of movement for civilian supremacy, the All Nepal Trade Union Federation of the Unified CPN-Maoist today decided to organise a nationwide strike on December 10, halting transport and shutting down industries.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the United National People’s Movement in the presence of representatives of party headquarters and the chiefs of the sister organisations of the party at Paris Danda today.

The UNPM has already announced a month-long protest, including general strike on December 20, 21 and 22.

According to Lekhnath Neupane, president of the All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary, the UNPM has asked the sister organisations of the party to organise protest programmes, raising respective demands.

Neupane said on December 1 ANNISU-R would take symbolic action against the educational institutions, who have been flouting the laws and fleecing the guardians. “More than 20,000 students from different schools and colleges would march through major thoroughfares of the Kathmandu Valley on December 1,” he said, adding that such demonstrations would also be organised in major cities on the same day. The students will demonstrate demanding that the school education should be basic education and university’s education should be easily accessible to the youth.

On December 3, women, families of martyrs and missing people, injured and disabled people will call far-western region bandh, demanding action against the police officers who had raped their colleague in Achham district police office. They have also decided to organise a sit-in protest in all 75 district police offices on the same day.

Dalits would organise protest programmes against untouchability on December 4.

According to Ganesh Bhandari, in-charge of the All Nepal Cine Workers’ Association, on December 6 the association would announce to limit the number of shows of foreign films in Nepal to create more space for the prosperity of Nepali cinema. In the morning, revolutionary journalists affiliated to the Maoists would organise a rally, while the cine artistes would organise a grand cultural programme at Ratnapark to protest against the government at 2 pm.

Neupane said the teachers affiliated to UCPN-Maoist have decided to shut schools throughout the nation on December 7. On the same day, the entrepreneurs will publish the lists of both tax payers and the tax evaders. On December 8, Young Communist League and the sportspersons will jointly organise either a demonstration or a march to protest unemployment and fading nationality.

On December 9, peasants and squatters will organise awareness campaign on land reforms, demanding that the land occupied by the trusts (Guthi) should be distributed among the people, who have been making use of such land.