By IANS
Kathmandu : Chaos reigned in the streets of Nepal’s capital Saturday as transporters on the warpath, backed by the Maoists, imposed a lightning transport strike, reinforcing it by burning tyres at crossroads and placing their vehicles haphazardly to disrupt traffic.
The major transport unions of the country, supported by the Young Communist League, the powerful and controversial youth wing of the Maoists, called the one-day transport strike to protest against “police atrocities” at the nation’s only international airport Friday.
Taxi drivers had called a protest Friday in opposition to the government policy of phasing out old vehicles, especially in the vicinity of the Tribhuvan International Airport here. Police tried to break up the demonstration Friday, leading to several taxi drivers being injured in the scuffle.
The cabbies, however, alleged that police beat them up even after taking them under control and their grouse was taken up by various trade unions Saturday. Hundreds of people, including a large number of tourists, were caught unawares.
Since Friday, the few taxis that are plying despite the protest have been fleecing people arriving at the Tribhuvan International Airport, asking for five to six times the normal fare.
However, Saturday being the official weekend in Nepal, office goers were spared the ordeal of trudging on foot to their offices.
But the unexpected strike disrupted several social sector programmes. The Blue Diamond Society, Nepal’s only gay rights organisation, said its interactive meet with politicians and human rights activists to discuss how to promote gay rights in Nepal, had to be postponed indefinitely due to the transport strike.
“An official of the New York-based Human Rights Watch and a former Dutch legislator had come all the way from their respective cities to take part in the meeting,” said Sunil Pant, the president of the society.
“Now they have to go back all the way without attending the meeting.”