The four day general strike called by Seven Party Alliance (SPA) here in Nepal ran successfully the third day even after the government imposed curfew from 10 am to 9 pm and 11 pm to 3 am.
Despite there was order of shooting the agitators, in most of places of Kathmandu, the curfew was broke out from various groups.

While demonstrating in Pokhara Metropolitan City of Western Region of Nepal, army opened bullets to the peaceful demonstrators killing a pro-democracy activist Bhimsen Dahal. He has been declared as a Martyr from SPA.

Several others have also been injured out of which the condition of another demonstrator is very serious. This is to be noted that King Gyanendra is also currently in Pokhara for an unofficial visit of Western Part. Iain Martin, the Head of UN OHCHR, Nepal condemned this brutal killing and using of armed weapons during the peaceful rally.

Butwal, Biratnagar, Chitwan, Kritipur, Rajbiraj, Dharan, Udaypur, Surkhet, Humla, were some other places outside Kathmandu where huge mass demonstrated against the autocratic king’s regime.

In Lalitpur, thousands of people took part in a protest rally chanting anti-king slogans and demanding the resignation of the royal government. At least ten student activists were arrested.

In Kathmandu, early in the morning at 8 am, Joint Dalit Struggle Committee (JDSC) organized pro-democratic rally. The rally started with not more than 50 people but ended with mass of more than 1000 people in the Chetrapati Chowk. This shows that general people are joining hands together for the democracy.

Civil Society leaders, doctors, professionals from the gate of Teaching Hospital Maharajgunj defied the curfew in the leadership of Daman Nath Dhungana (Ex Speaker of Lower House and one among the writer of current constitution of Nepal) and Padma Ratna Tuladhar (Ex Member of Parliament and Senior Human Rights Defender) at 4 pm. 24 leaders were arrested from there which includes Malla K. Sundar, Kanak Mani Dixit, Kapil Shrestha, Dr. Mahesh Maskey.

All these 24 arrested leaders were not given anything to eat and drink whole the night. They were taken from Teaching Hospital to Mahendra Police club and were later transferred to police office of Duwakot of Bhaktapur.

When a team of Human Rights Activists visited Mahendra Police Club to see these leaders, police did not even let this team meet the leaders. They said there is order from top (????) that only UN OHCHR and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is allowed to see them.

Likewise, members of Jana Morcha Nepal (member of SPA) also defied curfew from Batuli Ghar of Dilli Bazar at 5 pm. Total of 9 were arrested there. Due to a large presentation of Human Rights Monitoring Team and Media, the demonstrators were not beaten in there. Similarly, 2 were arrested from Anam Nagar at 5.30 protesting against the curfew and autocratic king.

In Kalanki, Gongabu Chowk and Chabahil, outside the ring road of Kathmandu, there were huge demonstrations. General Public came out of their house and those who did not come were supporting from their windows and roof of houses, somewhere clapping for demonstrators, somewhere throwing water to the demonstrators and in the tear gas, somewhere hiding the demonstrators in their house when police was chasing them, some were giving kerosene to burn tires and in different other ways.

Children, house wives, physically disabled, old aged people and everyone came out of their house despite of curfew.

To disrupt this mass, several round of tear gas, rubber bullets were used. In Kathmandu, government supplies water from water tap once in 5 days. In Dilli Bazar, it was the day of water in tap during curfew. So, especially ladies had to come out of their house to fill water even during curfew but the police officials were very rude and did not allow them to fill water as well.

However, despite curfew and several blockades, it has been seen and found that people are now awakened and they are now not agreeing to keep King as ceremonial. Everyone is talking about the Republican Nepal and constitution assembly to take place.

Government today has lengthen the time of curfew in Kathmandu starting from 7 am to 8 pm (yesterday was 10 am to 9 pm) and continuing again from 11 pm to 3 am. In today’s curfew, government is denying issuing curfew pass either to media or to Human Rights Defenders, except to government owned media and NHRC.

The general strike ends tomorrow but this is not the end of movement. Girija Prasad Koiral, Chairperson of Nepali Congress has issued a statement that despite any conspiracy of Government; the current movement will take place until the democracy is restored in country.

Report by Pratik Pande, Jagaran Media Center