India officially lifts its unofficial blockade of Nepal

[Hindustani78]

India snubs Nepal's rhetoric on truck blockade | Zee News


New Delhi: Rebuffing Nepal's claim of India blocking the movement of trucks to the Himalayan nation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said there is no question of any kind of blockade, as 733 trucks have gone to Nepal, while 2,500 are waiting to go in provided the political situation in the Himalayan nation becomes more conducive.


MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Thursday said, "The problem really is on the Nepalese side of the border. If the blockade from that side is removed and if the protesters end their demonstrations, our truckers are waiting to go inside and deliver the supply that Nepal needs. As and when these disruptions have slightly eased, we have tried to send supplies through."

Of the nine crossing points that are capable of crossing commercial cargo, five-six have been in constantly in use throughout, which dispels any kind of theory that there was blockade, he said.

Divulging detail of the trucks moving in Nepal, he said, "In the 24-hour period, 733 commercial vehicles moved through seven crossing points that are open. However, there are thousands of vehicles waiting at crossing points, particularly at the Raxaul-Birgunj crossing, where hundreds of Nepalese protesters have gathered."

"By 12 noon, 2,500 trucks are still queued up, mainly at Raxaul, where the number is between 1,500-2,000, and Sanauli where number is approximately 750," he added.

Today is the 21st day of the border obstruction and 62nd day of unrest in the Terai region of Nepal. There were demonstrations on Wednesday at several places, including Birgunj, Janakpur, Gaur, Malangawa and Jaleshwar and the protest at the inland container depot in Birgunj that handles inland cargo continues.

ANI

 

[JOEY TRIBIANI]

A senior Nepali diplomat based in Kolkata, rather uncharacteristically, issued a veiled threat to India on Friday, stating that his country “would not hesitate to update the bigger powers in the region about the situation” if Delhi kept mounting pressure on Kathmandu.

Even the tiny nations spit on our ugly neighbors.

 

[Hindustani78]

Trucks stranded at Briganj, a border town, on Thursday.

Updated: October 16, 2015 07:22 IST
Blockade brings Kathmandu to a halt - The Hindu
The capital’s Thamel district is home to exotic food and drinks. But waiters here inform hesitantly that most of the food on the menu is not available because the kitchens are not functioning owing to shortage of gas.

They regret to inform that the only items available are the beverages and salads. So patrons have no option but to chew green veggies while staring at the menu that lured them with promises of “Trout platter” and “Awesome Burger.”

Tourist flow thins
The gas scarcity which is the result of the blockade on the India-Nepal border has impacted the tourist flow most severely.

“The tourism season coincides with the festival season of Nepal which begins with Dasein and goes on till Chrismas and New Year. But this year, we have extremely low tourist inflow,” said Robin Thapa of the New Orleans Café of Thamel. The gas scarcity and the tourism sector’s problems are however not the most visible parts of the suffering caused by the blockade.

The acute sufferers are the transport workers who spend days on the streets of Kathmandu waiting for fuel.

Diesel is however available in the black market and have turned the city smoggy with fume. But the most shocking impact of the blockade has been the almost near absence of vehicles on the streets for most of the day as private vehicle owners prefer to walk instead of using cars.

The worst affected are agricultural workers and people who dwell in the mountains as they depend on gas and diesel to keep themselves warm from the chilly high altitude weather.

The poultry sector is another victim as farm owners use diesel run generators to keep their hatcheries warm. “But unable to source petrol, dozens of tonnes of eggs are being thrown away,” said former foreign Finance Minister, Surendra Pandey.

The local mood has turned dramatically against India as the blockade enforced by Madhesi parties viewed as pro-India have taken the light out of Dasein/Dussehra.

Anxiety is high about the next fifty days when Nepal will witness the Dasain, Diwali and Chhat festivals.

While connections with Indians are fondly mentioned, most of the harsh criticism is reserved for the present Indian government.

The full intensity of the fuel shortage has hit Kathmandu, which has already begun receiving the early winter wind.

Harsh winter ahead
“The winter will be difficult for us. I really do not know how we are going to survive through the winter if the blockade does not end,” said Krishna Gopal Shreshtha, member of the Central Secretariat of CPN-UNL.

The saddest part of the blockade is that youngsters who visit nightclubs can only to listen to music as food is not of offer due to the gas shortage. Nevertheless the music goes on.

 

[Hindustani78]

Keep off Madhesis, India told - The Hindu

Leading lights demand Prime Minister Sharma Oli take tough stance.
Two days after Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli extended to India his greetings for Vijaya Dashami, questions have been raised by the leading lights of the country over Mr. Oli’s plans to resolve the double jeopardy of a perceived economic blockade by India and the explosive political fissures.

The first need is to restart dialogue with the Madhesis, says Mr. Oli’s opponent Shekhar Koirala of Nepali Congress, who said that Mr Oli would have to take risks while bringing in constitutional amendments for addressing the Madhesis’ concerns and in dealing with the tricky issue of territorial demarcation of the Madhesi provinces.

“Prime Minister Oli has stopped his fire-breathing speeches against the blockade, and those supporting it, which means he is slowly focusing on the task of governance. Next, he has to initiate the amendments which will address the concerns of the Madhesi population’s citizenship issues. But the deeper issue of territorial demarcation of the Madhesi provinces will be protracted and tricky which needs a great deal of dialogue both inside Nepal and with India,” Mr. Koirala told The Hindu.

Restarting the dialogue process between India and Nepal would happen on a natural course but emotions would run high in Nepal as people would not forget the ongoing blockade for a long time, said Surendra Pandey, former Finance Minister and a leading CPN(UML) figure under Mr. Oli’s leadership. Mr. Pandey said that India should remember that enmity with Nepal would hurt it grievously, stating, “enmity among relatives is especially painful”.

But the tricky task of restarting the dialogue with India as well as with the Madhesi parties was possible, said Kanak Mani Dixit, only if Mr. Oli managed to rein in the Indian intelligence agencies operating in Nepal. Mr. Dixit, a leading public intellectual of Nepal, who is famous as the Editor of the Himal magazine, said that the history of the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Nepal should be disclosed to the people of India.

He said the responsibility for empowering the Indian intelligence agencies in Nepal lay with the Nepali Maoists as the latter invited the agencies into the country as they wanted to use the Indian intelligence agencies to get a political platform in the post-monarchy Nepal. Mr. Dixit said that over the past few years, the “guests” had become more powerful than the “hosts”. “There is nothing hidden about their role in Nepal,” Mr Dixit told The Hindu.

“Mr. Oli will have to restore the dialogue between political leaders and parties of Nepal and India as both share common sets of inspirations and ideas which allow for great chemistry. But the IB and RAW’s influence, especially in creating anti-Kathmandu sentiments in the border region of Nepal, needs to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said, suggesting that India should take note that some of the friends of the Indian ambassador Ranjit Rae, like Amaresh Kumar Singh, had been accused of stoking violence in the Madhes region. “I really wonder how a suave and accomplished diplomat like Mr Rae maintains links with persons such as Mr. Singh”. Mr Singh had been in the news earlier when his wife accused him of domestic violence.

Mr. Dixit said that in his quest to re-establish dialogue between Nepali and Indian political leaders and parties in Bihar, U.P. and West Bengal, Mr. Oli might have to use the channels of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and organisations inside the Indian government.

Some quarters have suggested that the visit of Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa to Delhi this weekend is a step toward engaging the RSS as Mr Thapa is known to be close to Hindutva figures in India.

Mr. Dixit and Mr. Pandey expressed the opinion that the blockade could not be explained rationally as both Nepal and India were hurt by it. The task before Mr. Oli, they said, was to shun provocative speeches and start a dialogue without interference from Indian agencies. “We do not have the luxury of time. Unless dialogue is started with all the political stakeholders, Nepal will end up in a violent civil conflict with itself and India will also suffer the fallout of the conflict,” warned Mr. Koirala.

 

[Hindustani78]

India wants Nepal to 'credibly' address challenges | Zee News

New Delhi: India on Sunday told Nepal that it was looking forward to steps being taken by its government to "credibly" address the challenges faced by the country including in the Terai region at the earliest during a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries.


In the first high-level engagement after the establishment of the new dispensation in Nepal, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held extensive talks with visiting Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, who briefed her about the current political situation in his country and expressed hope of finding a solution to the present turmoil at an early date.

In this regard, he also expressed concern over the obstruction in the supplies from the Indian side especially petroleum oil lubricants (POL), to which Swaraj told him that the "reduced or closure was due to the obstructions on the Nepalese side by the disaffected section of the Nepalese population," official sources said.

They said Swaraj told the visiting minister that India was looking forward to steps being taken by Nepalese government to "credibly" address the challenges faced by the country including in the Terai region at the earliest.

Thapa requested that efforts should be made to supply the goods from those crossing points which were not affected by the agitation, sources said, adding that Swaraj said it can be done only under the existing border infrastructure capacity constraints.

Swaraj also told Thapa that whenever the disruptions, or protests on the Nepalese side have slightly eased India has tried to send supplies across the border and five to six border crossing have been consistently in use but the worst affected entry point has been Rauxul and Birganj, which has been blocked by the agitators.

Indian truckers and other vendors have also expressed fears about their safety, she told Thapa, who is also the coordinator of a three-member team formed by the Nepal government to hold talks with Indian authorities to end blockade of key trade points by Indian-origin Madhesi people who are opposed to splitting the country into seven provinces.

During more than two-hour-long talks, Thapa, also the Foreign Minister, informed Swaraj about the reconciliation efforts being made by new Nepal government to settle outstanding differences through dialogue and ensuring broad-based ownership of the Constitution.

Thapa's remarks came in the backdrop of Nepalese Prime Minister K P Oli's assurance to address the concerns of Indian-origin Madheshi population about delimitation of constituencies and representation.

Swaraj also assured Thapa that India attaches highest priority to its relations with Nepal and was committed to a stable, peaceful and united Nepal, sources said.

Swaraj hoped that there will be success of the peace process and institutionalised democracy in a Constitutional and multi-party framework.

She assured that India continued to provide support as per the aspirations of people of Nepal and hoped that peace and reconciliation will help create a conducive environment to add further momentum to bilateral ties, sources added.

The External Affairs Minister said India was consistently supportive of Nepal's ongoing political transition and bilateral cooperation initiatives.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

India wants to see Nepal united, inclusive, stable: PM Modi | Zee News

New Delhi: Amid an unease in the bilateral relations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made it clear to Nepal that India's only desire is to see the neighbouring country united, inclusive, stable and prosperous, as he met its Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa here.

Conveying his best wishes to the new government that took over in Kathmandu about a week back, Modi underlined that India is committed to strengthening the traditional bonds of friendship and kinship with the people of Nepal.

Thapa, who holds the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, briefed Modi about developments in Nepal which has been witnessing a turmoil in southern parts inhabited by Indian-origin people ever since the country adopted a new Constitution nearly a month back.

"Prime Minister reiterated that India's only desire is to see a united, inclusive, stable and prosperous Nepal, and that India is committed to strengthening the traditional bonds of friendship and kinship with the people of Nepal," a PMO statement said.

Modi congratulated Thapa on assuming charge as the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Nepal.

The relations between India and Nepal are uneasy since the agitation by Indian-origin people in southern parts of Nepal like Terai, which has hit supplies of essential commodities to that country from here.

During his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here yesterday, Thapa had expressed concern over the obstruction in the supplies from the Indian side especially petroleum oil lubricants, to which Swaraj told him that the "reduced or closure was due to the obstructions on the Nepalese side by the disaffected section of the Nepalese population."

Swaraj told the visiting minister that India was looking forward to steps being taken by Nepalese government to "credibly" address the challenges faced by the country including in the Terai region at the earliest.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Nepal's Madhesi agitation turns violent again, several hurt | Zee News


Kathmandu: Several people were injured on Saturday when supporters of Madhesi parties turned violent and attacked buses and other vehicles being escorted by security forces in southern Nepal near the Indian border where they have been agitating for over a month against the new Constitution.

Clashes erupted between the security forces and Joint Democratic Madhesi Front (JDMF) cadres, who pelted stones at the vehicles in Dhalkebar in Dhanusa district before dawn.

The protesters threw petrol bombs in the direction of the vehicles and smashed their window panes. Police fired around 30 rounds into the air to control the protesters, some of whom were said to be hit by rubber bullets during the clash.

At least eight passengers were injured by people throwing stones at the vehicles. The driver of a bus is said to be seriously wounded after being hit on his head by protesters.

In southeast Nepal's Bardaha district, police had to baton charge and fire teargas shells at protesters throwing stones on vehicles ferrying people and goods. At least six agitators and two policemen were injured in the incident.

Southern plains of the landlocked Nepal has been simmering with tension since the new Constitution was formally adopted on September 20.

Madhesi parties - who claim to represent the interests of the Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal's Terai region - and Tharu ethnic groups have been agitating against the charter. They see it as flawed and discriminatory to their interests.

Over 40 people have died in the agitations, that has also overwhelmed India-Nepal ties, as transit of goods and fuel to the Himalayan nation via the major trading points of Birgunj and Biratnagar have been squeezed.

Faced with an acute shortage of fuel and essential goods, the new Nepalese government has been cosying up to its northern neighbour China.

Unified CPN-Maoist vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha yesterday met China's Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai and discussed with him the shortage of fuel, medicines in the country.
Shrestha, who recently had been on China visit, has also met China's Minister for Commerce and Supplies Ganesh Man Pun and Nepali Ambassador to China Mahesh Kumar Maskey over the issues, UCPN-Maoist party sources said.

Senior Maoist leader Dinanath Sharma told PTI that the talks focussed mostly on the supply of essential commodities.

China and Nepal have reopened two of their border trade points, which were damaged in the massive earthquake in April.

Nepal has also made official requests to China to supply fuel and cooking gas ahead of the festival season.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Two Madhesi leaders arrested in Nepal, vehicles torched - The Hindu

Southern plains of landlocked Nepal has been simmering with tension since the new Constitution was formally adopted on September 20.
Two leaders of Nepal’s main agitating Madhesi parties have been arrested as sporadic incidents of torching of vehicles and clashes were reported on Sunday.

After a brief lull, violence returned to the country due to protests over blockade of a key trade point with India mainly by Indian-origin Madhesis against division of their homeland in the new Constitution.

Satya Narayan Yadav, advisor of the agitation struggle committee and Roshan Yadav, district member of the agitating Terai Madhes Democratic Party were arrested from Siraha district in southern Nepal on charges of forcing the market to shut down.

The shutdown enforced by the Joint Democratic Madhesi Front continues to affect life in Siraha and other districts in southern Nepal.

The agitators torched a motorcycle in Lahan of Siraha district this morning for defying the strike.

However, the police said that they have sent around 100 motorcycles to their destinations under the escort of security personnel.

Local media reports said the agitators also vandalised a motorcycle at Sano Pipara on Sunday.

Four security personnel were also injured in a clash that took place between police and agitators at Pipara chowk last night, a report quoted Superintendent of Police at the Armed Police Force, Bhim Bahadur Thapa, as saying.

Police opened three rounds of fire in the air and 10 rounds of teargas shells to bring the agitators under control after they started pelting stones at police, it added.

Southern plains of landlocked Nepal has been simmering with tension since the new Constitution was formally adopted on September 20.

Madhesi parties — who claim to represent the interests of the Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal’s Terai region — and Tharu ethnic groups have been agitating against the charter which they see it as flawed and discriminatory to their interests.

Over 40 people have died in the agitations, that has also overwhelmed India—Nepal ties, as transit of goods and fuel to the Himalayan nation via the major trading points of Birgunj and Biratnagar have been squeezed.

 

[Hindustani78]

Nepalese police opens Indo-Nepal border point after 40 days
Kathmandu, Nov 2, 2015, (PTI):
Nepalese police today forcibly removed the agitating protesters from their sit-in spot on crucial Miteri Bridge at Indo-Nepal border, opening the Birgunj-Raxaul border point after 40 days.

The protesters initially hurled stones towards police when the latter started removing them early this morning. They were eventually chased away by police. Some 170 freight trucks entered into India from Nepal after the border was opened, The Kathmandu Post reported.

However, no trucks have entered into Nepal from the Indian side so far, it added.
Madhesis - who claim to represent the interests of the Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal's Terai region (plains) - have been protesting close to the main Nepal-India trading point near Raxaul, through which about 70 per cent of bilateral trade is done.

Their agitation has led to a halt in supply of essential goods, causing acute shortage of fuel in Nepal. Raxaul customs superintendent Arun Kumar Rajat said that the trucks stranded on Indian side will be sent to Nepal since the border was cleared since this morning.

"There is no point in stopping the freight trucks and tankers as the border has cleared. The trucks, tankers and LPG bullets will be sent to Nepal," he was quoted as saying by the Post.

Talks between Nepal government and Madhesi groups agitating over the country's new constitution yesterday ended inconclusively, but Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa said the dialogue was moving in a positive direction.

The major demands of the Madhesi Front are to re-draw the demarcation of the federal provinces and inclusion of more rights and representation to the Indian-origin Madhesi people.

Other demands include martyrdom status to those killed during recent protests, free treatment to the injured, compensation to victims' families and withdrawal of security forces from Terai districts among others.

The alliance has been staging protests in various parts of southern Nepal against the seven-province model of the newly-promulgated Constitution for more then two months.
The southern plains of landlocked Nepal have been simmering with tension since the Constitution was formally adopted on September 20.

Over 40 people have died in the violent agitation that has also overwhelmed Indo-Nepal ties as transit of goods and fuel to the Himalayan nation from India via the major border trading points has been badly affected.

Madhesi protesters have been opposing Nepal's new Constitution
Raxaul: Madhesi protesters have claimed they were lathicharged by the Nepal police on Monday for blocking a bridge at the Indo-Nepal Border near Bihar's Raxaul town.

The protestors had reportedly blocked the Maitri bridge when the cops allegedly used batons on them to disperse the agitators.

For over two months now, the Madhesi protesters have been opposing Nepal's new Constitution.

The protesting parties have demanded, among other things, withdrawal of armed police force from Terai districts and withdrawal of cases against their leader and cadres and martyrdom status of those killed during protests.

According the Human Rights Watch, at least 45 people were killed during the protests in August and September.

 

[manlion]

Indian Killed as Nepal Police Fire on Protesters on Bridge at Border With India

 

[Hindustani78]

Madhesi protesters throw stones and bricks at Nepalese policemen in Birgunj, a town on India-Nepal border, on Monday.

One killed in firing during protest at India-Nepal border - The Hindu


The deceased was identified as Asish Kumar Ram, a youth from Raxaul in Bihar.
Police in Nepal on Monday shot dead an Indian national during protests in the country’s Birgunj city close to the Indian border, officials said.

The deceased was identified as Asish Kumar Ram, 24. He belonged to Raxaul in Bihar.

Nepal’s Home Secretary Surya Silwal confirmed that a protester had been killed in a clash with police.

The man died in police firing near the Shankaracharya Gate, the main gateway to Nepal from India.

He sustained bullet injuries on the head and was declared dead at the Narayani Hospital.

Read: Overcoming the stasis in Nepal

Its medical director Imamul Haq said Ram was dead even before reaching the hospital.

The police reportedly fired dozens of bullets and tear gas after being heavily pelted with stones by protesters near the Indian border.

Several protesters were injured by rubber bullets fired by the security forces, a police official said.

The Birgunj-Raxaul border point has come under the control of protesters, one account said.

Later, when the police chased them away, they reached the bridge that links Nepal and India.

They again stoned Nepal’s security forces from Indian territory, witnesses said.

Border tense

All the major Nepal-India entry points have been tense for the past one and a half months after the promulgation of a new constitution in the Himalayan nation triggered protests in areas close to the Indian border.

The Madheshi-based political parties in Nepal are unhappy over the new Constitution and the concept of federalism.

They have been demonstrating at the border points, choking the supply of essential supplies from India and causing widespread shortages.

Birgunj is a key point from where essential commodities and fuel from India enter Nepal.

Around 50 people have been killed in Nepal since the agitation began in Nepal’s southern plains.

 

[Leviza]

What ever you indian's saying does not make any sense here ...

After admitting this unofficial blockade, indian might see far more issues.. land lock countries arr protected by UN for transferring goods ...

Nepal also went to china which is bigger in every way ... so india was left without any option to lift it off ...

 

[Hindustani78]

Prime Minister's Office
02-November, 2015 20:39 IST
Prime Minister speaks to Nepal PM; condemns killing of youngster from Bihar


Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has expressed shock and condemned the unfortunate killing of a youngster from Bihar due to police firing in Nepal.

PM spoke to Nepal PM Shri KP Oli. He expressed concern on the incident and requested for details.

On supply of fuel and other essentials, PM assured that there is no obstacle from the Indian side. At the same time, PM urged Nepalese leaders to work towards ensuring an early and effective solution to the crisis.

***

 

[[Bregs]]

This blockade has been neither official nor unofficial but some where in between its definitely a diplomatic failure as India reacted very late when constitution was being drafted and this issue boomeranged

 

[Hindustani78]

This blockade has been neither official nor unofficial but some where in between its definitely a diplomatic failure as India reacted very late when constitution was being drafted and this issue boomeranged

There is no blockade placed by India, its a law and order issue because of Nepal's internal politics.

The Madheshi-based political parties in Nepal are unhappy over the new Constitution and the concept of federalism.