“In the eastern Nepal again, one priest has declared that he would not speak a single word until there is democracy in country.”
PRATIK PANDE, from the Jagaran Media Center, predicts that two million will turn out for Tuesday’s demonstration.

April 24, 2006, Kathmandu

Autocratic regime of King Gyanendra again imposed curfew today from 11:00 am till 6:00 pm in the evening. By imposing curfew and cutting down the mobile connections, he and his people think that they can disrupt this ongoing mass movement.

They were always mistaken and still mistaking that can stop the voices of Nepali Citizens, who have now come out of their houses for the end of autocratic, despot, absolute monarchy from the history of Nepal.

Yesterday, the 18th day of mass movement, despite the curfew from 12:00 pm till 8:00 pm (which was later released at 7:00 pm), people of Kathmandu demonstrated peacefully in the Ring road and inner parts of Kathmandu valley. Police opened fire at several parts of Kathmandu and hit the demonstrators with the baton injuring at least 25. From the bullet used by security forces, 3 demonstrators were seriously injured in Koteswor.

There were huge clashes between the demonstrators and security forces at Kalanki, when demonstrators defied the curfew at ring road and tried to get into the main city areas. People of Kritipur also joined together with the demonstrators of Kalanki. Nearly 50,000 people from Kalanki defied the curfew in Ring road and they moved from Kalanki to join the demonstrators at Gongabu. But the security force stopped them in the way at Balaju.

There was clash between the Armed Police Force and Police Force with the demonstrators resulting 3 serious injuries demonstrators. Police also beat indiscriminately to the local people who were inside their own homes.

In the meantime, in the Gogabu Chowk, there was a protest program going on which was addressed by the top leaders of Seven Political Parties which includes, Bam Dev Gautam (CPN – UML), Ram Chandra Poudel (Nepali Congress), Rishi Katel (Left Front), Anjana Bishankhe (Jana Morcha, Nepal) and few others. Rugin Gandarva, a young Dalit boy, sang a song against autocratic King’s regime in the typical Nepali style.

There have been protests all over the country in different manner. In the eastern Nepal, people used 100 donkeys that were carrying the photo of King Gyanendra at its back in a protest rally. In the Indo-Nepal border of Jogbani, the Indian journalists of the local area also protested against the king and showed their solidarity in the Nepalese movement. In the eastern Nepal again, one priest has declared that he would not speak a single word until there is democracy in country.

The seven-party alliance’s taskforce has decided to bring more than two million people to the 27-km long Ring Road on Tuesday the 25th of April 2006, in order to put more political pressure on the King to concede power. Following leaders are given responsibility to lead the following places respectively:

Girija Prasad Koraila – President, Nepali Congress (Maharajgunj); Madhav Kumar Nepal –General Secretary, CPN-UML (Kalanki); Sher Bahadur Deuba – President, Nepali Congress (D) (Gangabu Chowk); Amik Sherchan – Jana Morcha Nepal (Saat Do Bato); Narayan Man Bijukchhe – Chairperson, NMKP (Koteswor); Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar – United Left Front (Chabahil); Bharat Bimal Yadav – Nepal Sadbhawana Party(A)(Sita Paila).

To disrupt this program, government is likely impose curfew from today mid-night. But SPA leaders are determined to do this program even after the curfew is imposed or what so ever. It has also been rumor in Kathmandu that King may declare State of Emergency in a day or two if the ongoing movement will continue.

Despite any difficulties, it is open and clear that the movement will rest only after restoration of democracy.

Toll Update: 1. Death 14 2. Disappeared 4 3. Those who lost eyes 8 4. Handicapped 24 5. Injured 6,000