By Our Correspondent
Dhalkebar, Jan. 5: Transport operators have demanded an alternative to the protest of obstructing the highways and vandalising the vehicles.
Since December 30, the protests by the CK Raut-led Janamat Party have been affecting vehicular movement along the major highways and inner roads across the Terai districts.

The party has stated the protest would continue for indefinite time as it was to support the farmers. They have put forth an 11-point demand like providing fertilisers and seeds in time, proper facilities of irrigation, payment of sugarcane farmers and pension to farmers, among others.
The Janamat Party cadres have been throwing stones, charging batons and setting vehicles on fire during their highway-centric demonstrations.

“We are suffering from the protests. If we don’t operate, we cannot run our daily lives and when we operate, our vehicles are vandalised," ”said Manoj Chaudhary, chairman of Janakpur Bus Operators Association.
Alongside transport operators, thousands of public have also been struggling to commute due to the protests.
“Both short and long route vehicles leave for their destinations from Janakpur but there is a high risk that the vehicles will get destroyed by protestors on the way,” said Chaudhary.

According to Chaudhary, the protest is like rubbing salt on the wound because the transport sector was starting to revive from the economic loss during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As other public sectors are facing problem because of violent protest in support of one sector, Chaudhary said that they request the protestors to find an alternative to pressurise the authorities.

Likewise, chairman of Medium and Small Transport Operators Association-Janakpur Dhuplal Yadav argued that the individuals seeking some income by investing in small means of transports are also equally suffering.
Until now, four trucks have been set on fire while over a dozen other vehicles have been vandalised by the Janamat Party cadres in Saptari, Siraha and Dhanusha.

Likewise, our Bhairahawa correspondent said that the party had also started demonstrating in Bhairahawa with the same demands.
On Sunday, 12 activists of the party were arrested for blocking the road from Bhairahawa.