Nepal experiences apparent peace on streets, curfew reimposed
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, April 23, IRNA
Nepal-Situation
An uneasy peace pervaded the streets of Kathmandu as people moved to buy provisions and other necessary goods ahead of reimposition of curfew on Sunday as the political deadlock in the Himalayan kingdom showed no sign of abating.
An 11-hour curfew, starting from 9:00 hrs local time, has been imposed after yesterday's massive protests, comprising thousands of people, broke past barricades on the Ring Road and moved closer before being dispersed by police, who lobbed tear-gas and fired rubber bullets.
Over 200 people were injured, four of them seriously, in the police action, a UNI report said here
Downtown areas of the city, just a couple of km from the Narayanhity Palace were choked full of people as early as 6:30 hrs, with people out on shopping errands.
Meanwhile, trucks carrying heavily-armed riot police personnel, sped across the streets to take up positions around the arterial roads leading to the royal palace.
Though most of the shops were closed at the early hour, pavement merchants selling everything from fruit to Chinese-made electronic gizmos did brisk business, with even the security personnel deployed on main thoroughfares among their customers.
In the dense Bhotahiti area, where the historic Annapurna temple is located, people thronged to buy vegetables and other foodstuffs, specially newspapers which had yesterday's massive protests as their main leads.
An intensified army presence was on the streets, while cell networks -- shut down last afternoon -- are still down. There was anti-monarchical sentiment even around the historic Pashupatinath Temple early in the day.
Interestingly, posters of the late King Birendra and the rest of his assassinated family were freely on sale, while any pictures of the present king 'widely despised' were conspicuously absent.
Public anger against the monarchy has been growing with reports of a statue of the late King Mahendra being torn down in the countryside as the two security personnel deployed there fled for their lives from the raging crowd.
According to sources, protestors are ganging up for another day of agitation as no headway has been made in solving the political imbroglio.
The seven-party alliance, as well as the Maoists, had rejected the king's offer of Friday to recommend a prime minister, holding firm on their demands for restoration of the sacked Parliament, formation of an interim all-party regime and announcement of elections to a Constituent assembly, which King Gyanendra has shown no signs of heeding.
There is a clear-cut disconnect between the king and the parties, who are still not holding face-to-face parleys, with members of the diplomatic community -- especially the ambassadors of India, US, UK, Finland and other EU countries -- playing the role of facilitators.
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