Spoke to Tenzin, the headmaster of the school where I hope to teach, earlier today. He said that the strikes in Kathmandu are intensifying and will peak around the time that I arrive. He advised that maybe my flight should be postponed as no traffic at all is allowed on the roads and transport will be difficult. I can't consider that! While I appreciate that he's concerned for my wellbeing I'd rather take my chances and go on schedule.
I need to learn more about Nepali politics but my understanding of it all is this: The 3 major parties, of which the UCPN (Maoist) faction has a huge say, are trying to federate the country into 11 provinces, naming them only after completion. The strike has been called by the NEFIN (Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities) as a protest against this. The city has ground to a halt with even motorbikes and bicycles being banned from the road. The obvious problem for the people caught in the middle of this is that food and medicines can't be transported. Outsiders like myself always have the option to leave and go back to their comfort zones but the local people simply don't have that choice. Life is already hard enough for them.
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