Ground Report

Kathmandu, Nepal May 7, 2010: Thousands of people all over Kathmandu thronged to show their solidarity towards peace at Basantapur Durbar Square Kathmandu today. From early morning the Basantapur Durbar Square was crowded with people who came in from all sides of life. The assembly reached the consensus of finding a solution to the ongoing strike and has asked the political leaders to act within 48 hours. Later, the assembly took the form of a rally which trailed around the major parts of the city. It was reported that in major parts of the city like Teku, Pulchowk, Kupundole and Bagbazaar the Maoist supporters tried to block roads to prohibit people from participating in the Peace Assembly. In Kupondole, the Maoist supporters even attacked people who were heading towards the Peace Assembly. The Maoist protesters clashed and also tried to disperse the peace rally in different place where the police took control over the situation. Similarly, in Exhibition Road situation got out of control where the police had to fire more than a dozen rounds of tear-gas shells to take control over the situation. The situation further got worst when the Maoist agitators purposely tried to stop the rally and pelted stones at the Peace Rally and the police. During the clash more than a dozen participants sustained injuries where they were immediately taken to the Model hospital. A Maoist Constitute Assemble (CA) Member, Renu Chand was also reported injured during the scuffle. Looking at the worsening situation, security was tightened in and around the Ratnapark area. Likewise, a Maoist vehicle was vandalized near Krishna Mandir, Patan by an unknown group. The Peace Assembly was organized by Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Professionals’ Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce.