The intensive riot erupted in Nepalgunj since Monday has gradually turning towards the normality though the curfew issued by the District Administration Office (DAO) persists indefinitely. During the curfew hour, a peace rally has been staged in the city on Wednesday.
Surendra Kafle, a journalist from Nepalgunj said the rally led by CPN (Maoist) which began from Bus Park along the various parts of the city converted into a mass meeting near Mahendra multiple Campus.
According to him, the situation is turning towards normality. Some 3000 people including activists of various political parties and public had participated in the rally. The DAO has issued curfew order since 10 am for the indefinite hours.
The DAO had issued the curfew order after unruly groups attempted to disrupt preparations for a goodwill rally that the eight parties had planned to stage. Some groups were active till Wednesday noon to disrupt the effort of keeping peace.
Defying the curfew, an unidentified group had torched Nepalgunj's Mahendra Multiple Campus Wednesday noon.
In a bid to control looting at Tribhuwan chowk, the police had fired shots into the air. The New Road area of Nepalgunj in particular had remained tense Wednesday morning.
They had also vandalized the office of Nepalgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Kohalpur bazaar remained tensed and no vehicles plied on the road.
The material worth more than 10 billion was damaged in the riots that appeared Tuesday. Tensions had risen following a scuffle that ensued on Monday between Madheshis (people from Terai region) and Pahades (people from Hilly region) during a Madhesh banda (general strike) called by Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) (NSP-A). An individual identified as Kamal Giri was killed on Tuesday though it is yet to be identified who killed him.
Meanwhile, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) has appealed all to keep tolerance over the incident expressing serious concern to it.