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2015 Nepal blockade

February 07, 2023

The 2015 Nepal blockade, which began on 23 September 2015 and lasted about six months, was an economic and humanitarian crisis which severely affected Nepal and its economy.

Shortages of bottled gas caused a fuel crisis during the blockade

Nepal has accused India of imposing an undeclared blockade[1] triggered by Indian concern about changes to the Nepali constitution, violent ethnic conflict, and Nepal's increasing cooperation with China. India has denied the allegations, stating the supply shortages have been imposed by Madheshi protesters within Nepal.

As a landlocked nation, Nepal imports all of its petroleum supplies from India. Roughly 300 fuel trucks enter from India on a normal day, but this had dwindled to a sporadic passage of 5–10 fuel trucks daily since the start of the crisis, though shipments of perishables like fruits and vegetables had generally been allowed to pass.

Moreover, India had also been stopping some Nepalese trucks at the Kolkata harbour.[2] The blockade choked imports of not only petroleum, but also medicines and earthquake relief material.[3] By March 2016, fuel shipments were mostly back to normal.

Background

Political intrigue

Political intrigue is a recurring theme of Nepal. Since the Nepalese royal massacre of 2001, the country broke out into civil war that only ended in 2006, the victors being UCPN-M power brokers who forced Parliament and King Gyanendra to integrate them; the king later was forced to resign. The two main leaders of UCPN-M are ex-Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and party head Prachanda. Despite their once powerful posts and many disgruntled members having left the party with a few cadres after disputes and failures to get economic and political traction, the party never suffered from fallout as great as it has in 2015, when Baburam Bhattarai on 26 September severed ties with Prachanda and the UCPN-M amidst the Constitutional crisis and early days of the blockade, reducing the once formidable UCPN-M to an also-run political force despite its 80/600 parliamentary representation.[4] Bhattarai stated "chances of me joining an old or a cracked house is out of option".[5] The ruling Nepali Congress itself had been under intense pressure due to failure to act on quake relief and the blockade, this and the UCPN-M split paved the way for Khadga Prashad Oli of CPN-UML to become PM on 11 October.

Concerns about Nepal's constitution

On 20 September 2015, the long-stalled Constitution of Nepal was passed with 90% approval from the representatives in Nepal's Constituent Assembly (CA).[6][7] 66 members of Nepal's 598-strong Constituent Assembly, belonging to these groups, abstained from voting in protest.[8] By 20 September, more than 40 people including 8 police officers had been killed in clashes between the protesters and the police. Not all constitution passage related protests, deaths, nor bandh (strike) were ordered by or took place among Madhesis or in the Madhesh; there are various unresolved issues touched off by the passage of the constitution related to the multitude of races, political interests and castes in the diverse and developing country.[9] Nevertheless, the fuel crisis itself has direct relation to the Madhesh as it is the transit point for the vast majority of imports, two ethnic groups in the border region with India – Tharus and Madhesi people- have also been protesting against human rights violations, alleging that the new constitution marginalized them. There were also bandhs (strikes) declared in the Terai region, even before the constitutional passage, curtailing Terai business but otherwise not affecting the rest of the country.[10][11]

Parties representing Nepal’s Madhesi and Tharu ethnic communities organized protests against the constitution, leading to widespread violence in southern Nepal and a targeted campaign by Nepal security forces against protesting citizens based solely on their ethnicity.[12] The Nepal government has accused India of unofficially backing this protest by slowing or stopping traffic from crossing the border into Nepal completely.[13] However, India has maintained that Nepal’s failure to draft an inclusive Constitution is responsible for the unrest. It has also been pointed out by India that the “blockade” is taking place on Nepal’s side of the border, where protestors have attacked Indian drivers who were trying to transport food and facilitate trade between the two neighbors.

On 23 September 2015 demonstrators in Kathmandu shouted anti-India slogans to protest the fuel shortage.[14] Nepal Cable Television Association blocked 42 Indian channels in protest against unofficial blockade into the country.[15]

Indian concerns

On the day that the fuel blockade began, Indian Express newspaper reported that India had demanded specific changes to the new Nepali constitution. While the Indian government denied this claim,[16] the Indian Express reporter stood by his or her original report restating that "these amendments/changes were communicated by New Delhi to Kathmandu". [17] In a report from The Economic Times, a personnel from the Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) "confirmed that at least till the third week of September, they had orders from above to intercept fuel shipments to Nepal".[18]

#BackOffIndia

 
Protest against blockade in Nepal,
Protest against Indian maps showing Kalapani territory

#BackoffIndia is a Twitter hashtag and social media campaign against alleged "intervention" by India in Nepal's internal affairs, accusing it of having caused the 2015 Nepal blockade of Nepal.[19][20] The blockade was caused by Madhesi protestors in Nepal who were dissatisfied with the newly adopted Constitution of Nepal.[21] However, the government of India and ruling party at that time held multiple meetings with Madhesi leaders and provoked them to cause blocking. India too participated passively with events like refusing to accept new constitution, orders were sent to border authorities at Indian side to not let any movements of goods across the border.[22]

The hashtag was used by Nepalese around the world to accuse India of interfering in the country’s internal matters.[23] During September–December 2015, more than 6,750 tweets have been created in Twitter with this hashtag.[24] When news of the blockage of shipments reached the government, Kathmandu sent additional armed-police forces to the border. Many leaders of various parties claimed India had infiltrated the Madhesh with Indian protesters, and Madheshi leaders refuted the infiltration allegations, stating that the Madheshis should not be mistaken for Biharis or other Indians.[25]

The hashtag was used again in 2019 when the Nepalese discovered that India included 35 sq. km. Kalapani territory at the northwest frontier of Nepal within India's territory.[26] Kalapani had been included in Indian territory ever since its independence and for almost a century prior to that.[27] Once again, conspiracy theories give rise to disaffection.[28]

Kalapani protest

The Twitter hashtag again gained popularity when the Government of India’s Press Information Bureau released a map of India's territories in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation on 2 November 2019. The map showed Kalapani territory in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state of India, which is disputed by Nepal, as a part of Darchula District of Sudurpashchim Province. Nepalese took to social media backing their government's claim to it using the hashtag.[26]

Ties and border

Due to an open border between Nepal and India, citizens of both countries can move freely, work, and live across borders without passports. Nepalese citizens moving along the border had long been an issue straining Nepal-India relations. Madheshis share strong socio-cultural ties to the neighbouring Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.[8] India had expressed concerns over the violent protests, and had asked Nepal to take Madhesi interests into consideration.[29] The government of Nepal and the Nepalese media portrayed Madhesi movements as subversively backed by Indian infiltrators, and as an assault on their sovereignty; furthermore, some Nepalis felt the crisis was ultimately an attempt to absorb Nepal into India in whole or in part, citing the case of Nepali-dominated Sikkim.[30]

Connections to the 2015 Bihar elections

Some critics have tied India's actions to political interest in the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election. Justice Markandey Katju claimed that the blockade is "directly connected with the Bihar assembly elections".[31] Likewise, General Ashok K. Mehta accuses the Indian Government of prioritizing an election victory in Bihar over Indian-Nepalese relations.[32]

Geography and China

Landlocked Nepal, due to its Himalayan location and extremely basic and fragile infrastructure depends on India for almost all its import needs. In 1989, India had closed 19 of the 21 border crossings, after a dispute over renegotiation of lapsed trade and transit treaties between the two countries. Nepal's increasing cooperation with China, including its purchase of Chinese weaponry, was seen as a major factor behind this blockade.[33] Nevertheless, India had warned against Nepal breaking the fuel stranglehold of India during the premiership of Girija Prasad Koirala.[34]

"We are deeply concerned over the incidents of violence resulting in death and injury in regions of Nepal bordering India following the promulgation of Constitution yesterday. Our freight companies and transporters have also voiced complaints about the difficulties they are facing in movement within Nepal and their security concerns, due to the prevailing unrest.

We had repeatedly cautioned the political leadership of Nepal to take urgent steps to defuse the tension in these regions. This, if done in a timely manner, could have avoided these serious developments."

Immediately after the press release, all the border crossings in Nepal witnessed unusual stoppage of goods and transportation vehicles from India to Nepal, even though much of the border crossings, apart from the ones in Province 2 had not witnessed substantial border obstructions.[citation needed]

The blockade has caused the only international airport to deny foreign carriers fuel,[35] contributing to isolating the landlocked nation from the outside world at a time when the country is still reeling from ongoing landslides blocking border trade with China following the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake. Meanwhile, none of the $4 billion of internationally donated quake relief funds to the Nepali government have been dispersed to survivors even after many months, causing anger among Nepalis and international agencies alike.[36]

The Nepali government decided to stop providing fuel to private automobiles including public transport and taxis for few days at the beginning so as to distribute the fuel to government and prioritized sector.[37] Some 2,000 factories are shut down as of 1 October.[38] The Nepal Oil Corporation alleged and sued Indian Oil Corporation for not allowing the majority of trucks to enter Nepal.[39] The unofficial "Indian Blockade" forced Nepalese to ride bicycles and to carpooling,[40] and many also turned to electric vehicles, with demand for electric motorcycles and scooters surging in response to the fuel shortage.[41]

The Nepal oil corporation is the only state-owned company which imports and distributes petroleum in Nepal. It does not have enough facility to store petroleum for even over weeks use. So the public was angry for not getting petrol, diesel, cooking gas (LPG), kerosene from the state oil corporation although they stood in line for days. The government of Nepal had imposed a rule to provide fuel to the public as well as private transportation on the basis of odd and even number plate system. Although this system was imposed the taxi drivers and private vehicle owners faced huge problems to stand their vehicles in line for two-three days or more but still not getting required fuel. The oil black marketeers saw this as a big opportunity and started bringing fuel from the border points with India and selling it in Kathmandu and other places for threefold prices. For instance, before the Madhesi blockade, a price of a liter of petrol in Kathmandu was Rupees 104 whereas, after the blockade, the public was forced to buy petrol from the black marketeers paying Rupees 300 to 450 for a liter.[42]

The government of Nepal failed to ease this fuel crisis and could not bring petroleum from China on time although it signed an agreement to buy one third of Nepal's petroleum requirement from the northern neighbor.[43] This agreement was seen as a cornerstone for Nepal to end the full dependency on only one country for petroleum imports.[44] The common Nepalese were hopeful to get fuel from the northern neighbor. The other Nepal-China border point, Tatopani in Sindhupalchowk district is not functional after the Nepal earthquake 2015 because of serious damages and obstructions.[45] China had also donated 1.3 million liters of petrol to Nepal after the fuel crisis through the Kerung border point.[46]

The Nepali government spoke of airlifting fuel and essential supplies when the talk with the Indian side was not fruitful.[47] India was repeatedly saying to solve the issue with the Madheshi people because they are the ones who were blocking the border points and disrupting supplies. The Indian trucks cannot go to Nepal because of the insecurity as the Terai part of Nepal was facing strikes from the period before the Nepal's new constitution was declared. Some reports also came in Nepali media that the Madheshi protesters were sitting on the Indian land and throwing stones at Nepal[citation needed]. The government of Nepal was also unable to convey true message to the International communities about the problem in Nepal at a time when some Nepali scholars were asking the government to Internationalize the issue as India had moved back from the Nepal India friendship treaty and violated the various International trade, transit and commerce laws[citation needed]. While in Kathmandu, the government had asked for International help to solve the fuel crisis which was hitting the Nepalese life very hard.[48] Nepal government started selling firewood in Kathmandu because there were acute shortage of cooking gas (liquified petroleum gas) that households were buying electrical induction cookers.[citation needed] As Nepal faces big energy problems and power cuts, using induction cookers would not be a permanent alternative to cooking gas.

The Government of India denied imposing a blockade, stating that the truck drivers coming from India were not entering Nepal due to safety concerns resulting from the violent protests. India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that the border obstructions were a result of "unrest, protests, and demonstrations on the Nepalese side, by sections of their population."[39] The Government of Nepal contested India's claim, stating that there were no major security concerns that would prevent the trucks from entering Nepal. Nepal's spokesperson Laxmi Prasad Dhakal argued that the Madheshi protests had been happening since past few months, and Indian trucks had been entering Nepal until 23 September without any problems.[39]

On 1 October, Indian minister Sushma Swaraj officially denied Nepal's accusations. India's spokesperson Vikas Swarup pointed out that India had sent 4,310 trucks to the border, where they had been stranded. He argued that from there onwards, it was Nepal's responsibility to ensure that the trucks entered Nepal safely.[49] On the other hand, it is reported that the vehicles weren't allowed to enter Nepal by the Indian side thus resulting in long queues of Nepalese trucks stranded for days Inside the Indian border. The Indian Oil Corporation reportedly refused to fill the Nepalese trucks following instructions from higher authorities.

On 6 October, the Madheshi-centric Nepal Sadbhawana Party criticized the Nepali media reports blaming the blockade on India. Its President Rajendra Mahato stated that the blockade had been done by the Madheshi people and that India had nothing to do with it.[50] The Indians alleged that the Maoists, who dominate the Nepali politics, were promoting a false propaganda against India.[51] An editorial in the Nepali Times has claimed the Indian blockade is no longer about the Madhes and the constitution, but rather that India also seems to be opposed to KP Oli replacing Sushil Koirala as prime minister, and has a whole host of demands on security and other issues that we haven’t even heard about.[52]

There is no gas, no vegetable supplies, no fuel for vehicles, no fuel for airlines, and life is about frozen. We don't want this type of friendship.(In reference to 1950 Indo-Nepal friendship treaty) —Khadga Prasad Oli UML Chair & Prime minister-designate of Nepal [53]

Nepal has lobbied the United Nations on the obstruction.[54]

On 28 October, the Nepal Oil Corporation and PetroChina signed an agreement to import fuel from China,[55] the first fuel agreement ever between the two nations.[56] China also pledged to donate 1,300,000 L (290,000 imp gal; 340,000 US gal) of fuel to Nepal. [56] Nepal is planning to import a third of its fuel from China.[57]

Cascading shortages

Nearly all sectors of the economy have taken a severe hit, from tourism to transport to domestic factories to agriculture. The once vigorous construction industry had already come to a standstill before the blockade due to quake fears, new enforcement of building code, and monsoon issues, most reconstruction work has been put off until after the monsoon. Tourism, a mainstay of hard currency, already saw 40% cancellation post-quake,[58] since then new advisories from Germany to US have been issued due to Madhesi related issues.,[59] many restaurants remain closed in tourist zones and transport remains at best a hack. Basic goods, mostly imported from India, remain in short supply. Some 14 Nepali pharmaceutical factories remain shut, causing widespread shortages in medicine, including for infectious diseases like Tuberculosis which do not respect borders, some 90 percent of raw and packaging materials usually enter from Birgunj customs point (India).[60] People have resorted to illegal imports of medicines from India, putting patients at risk. The most acute shortages of medicines in Kathmandu are for Intensive Care Unit such as high blood pressure, diabetes, anesthesia, injectable antibiotics, and hyperbaric oxygen.[61][62][63] In more remote areas zero supplies of medicines have come within 2 months, resulting in complete lack of medicines[64] including vaccines[61] and Oxygen.[65] Rice paddy production was already forecast to shrink by 18-20 percent due to several factors. The poor South Asian monsoon and chemical fertilizer shortage, improper seeds from post-quake international donations not suited to climate account for some 10% of the expected crop (half of the crop failure), however due to the fuel crisis the figure is expected to worsen sharply as machinery and fertilizer are affected,[66] manpower is limited due to mass overseas migration of young males,[67] disproportionately leaving elderly and children behind to tend to farms. To provide heat, people have been increasing turning to electric heaters, causing increasing burden on electricity transmission and supply, with some 530 transformers having already exploded as of December.[68]

Humanitarian crisis

Main article: 2015–2016 Nepal humanitarian crisis

More than 3 million children under the age of 5 in Nepal are at risk of death or disease during the harsh winter months due to a severe shortage of fuel, food, medicines and vaccines. —UNICEF media press release, 30 November 2015[69][70]

As issue of post-quake vulnerability became lost in the increasingly vocal information war between Kathmandu and New Delhi,[71] a major humanitarian crisis has erupted at a time when international agencies are stretched very thin due to El Nino related agricultural disasters as well as exploding conflict in Syria, Yemen, and their spawned refugee crises. UNICEF has followed with a warning echoing US embassy statements about the looming humanitarian disaster, citing 3 million children at risk of disease and death in Nepal alone.[72] On a separate note, while governments focus on immediate needs and politics, misanthropes take advantage of the situation, in particular Human trafficking; some 400 girls who have entered India from Nepal have gone missing.[73]

Overseas protests against blockade

 
Protest in USA against India Blockade to Nepal

Nepalese residing in the UK demonstrated against the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 10 Downing Street, London during his visit on 12 November 2015. The demonstrators included ex-military families (the so-called "Gurkha Regiment" and "non-Gurkhas"), Sikh extremists and various other individuals dissatisfied with the Indian Prime Minister. Some reports claimed that as soon as Modi arrived back in Delhi, he ordered an assessment of the power which the Nepali people have in Great Britain and other places overseas[74] On 17 November, the "Non-Resident Nepali Association USA" protested against what they refer to as the Indian Government's so-called "economic blockade of Nepal" in front of United Nations Headquarters in New York.[75] Also on 30 November, another branch of the same "non-resident Nepali" group protested in front of India's embassy in Washington, D.C.

Police action against the protesters

On 2 November, Nepalese police moved in to clear out the protesters in Birgunj.[76] Despite police actions, the protesters managed to return and continue the blockade.[76] Protesters attacked a Nepalese police station with petrol bombs and stones.[76] In retaliation, the police opened fire, killing one person, Ashish Kumar Ram, who was later identified as an Indian citizen, which raised concerns over involvement of Indians in the Madhesh protests.[76][77] Six Nepalese police officers were injured in the attack and more than 25 protesters and civilians were injured. Since then, a curfew has been imposed in Birgunj.[76]

On 21 November, Nepalese police clashed with protesters led by Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) in the district of Saptari who were blocking vehicles from entering Nepal.[78] Around 5,000 protesters were involved.[78] Nepalese police shot and killed three protesters at Bhardaha, Rupani and Rajbiraj.[78] Another protester was killed on 22 November in Rajbiraj.[78] Afterwards, a curfew was imposed on all three towns.[78] To complicate matters, Tharuhat protestors of Tharu descent, also Madhesis, have clashed with the Madhesi parties seeking their own separate state different from Madhesi parties in the Western Terai zone.[79]

Separately, Federal Limbuwan State Council (FLSC), representing different ethnic groups (Mongoloids) than the Madhesis (Indo-Aryans), represents the most ancient of the indigenous groups of Nepal, who have historically had a large degree of autonomy in the Far East Terai. FLSC have been striking and enforcing vehicular bans on a separate region of the Terai for the entire time the Madhesis have been active doing the same; their demands overlap Madhesh demands and territories of states, both demands cannot be reconciled geographically. Madhesi parties have refrained from direct confrontation with FLSC. FLSC and the Mongoloid voice of the nation been almost completely ignored by all Western and Indian media; they don't have the backing of India nor Kathmandu.[80][81][82] Nevertheless, India perceives FLSC as a pro-Nepal force. FLSC has also accused Kathmandu of use of excessive brutal police forces just as the Madhesi parties have.[80] KP Oli, Nepal's PM, issued a statement from Itahari (where FLSC is most active) in December 2015 that The government will not spare those who take the law in their hands..and air secessionist views,[83] a veiled threat to FLSC actions.

Indian border police action

On 25 November, Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) border police shot four Madhesi Nepali youths at the border.[84] According to Nepali officials, the youths were trying to bring food and fertilizer into Nepal, and the shooting took place at Bhantabari, Sunsari District on the Nepalese side of the border.[84] The SSB denied this, stating that the shooting took place in the Indian territory facing Nepal's Haripur village. The SSB also claimed that the people shot at were smuggling prohibited materials, and attacked its personnel when stopped.[85] Nepalese government quickly responded with 1 million rupees in compensation to 4 victims' families dispensed within 2 days.[86]

Attacks on Nepali media

In spite of an apparent agreement hashed out between India and Nepal, Madhesis stated their demands were still not met.[87] Madhesi protesters have stepped up attacks against Nepali media outlets, with a Kathmandu Post media van torched on 28 December.[88] India has also been stepping up its control of information in late December, with Sashastra Seema Bal wanting to install radio stations along the border.[89] In Nepal there is the view that the Madhesi protestors are being used as a proxy for Indian actions.[90]

Resolution

We failed to create pressure on the government by blocking border points, we only caused suffering to ordinary people. —Rajendra Mahato, senior leader of Unified Madhesi Front[91]

India and Nepal seemed to have worked out their differences with passage of a constitutional amendment by Nepal,[92] but Madhesi leaders remained defiant, along with other movements of separatists/autonomists. Nevertheless, Madhesis were the only movement with state support from India, but prominent Madhesi leader, Mahato, has backed down as of 4 February 2016.

On 29 March 2016, panic buying caused by worries about another fuel blockade hit Kathmandu, where long lines of motorists formed. The prime minister had just returned from a visit to China with a number of agreements signed that will reduce long term dependence on India. Nepal Oil Corporation reported normal fuel shipments but, even one and a half months after the embargo was lifted, domestic diesel and cooking gas deliveries have not returned to normal.[93]

Nepalese opinions

India officially may not call it a blockade. But it smells like a blockade, it feels like a blockade and sounds like a blockade. —Kanak Mani Dixit, Nepalese journalist and political analyst[94]

Nepalese political analyst Amit Dhakal stated that "Even a child can make out that it is a deliberate blockade."[94] Kishor Bikram Malla, a student leader of the CPN (UML) party opined that "The new generation of Nepalese can go without fuel for months but we are not ready to bend before India."[94] Similarly, Nepalese political analyst Kanak Mani Dixit contended that Prime Minister of India authorized S. Jaishankar on his conduct towards Nepal:

By all accounts, Jaishankar was uncouth, brash and imperial in his behaviour towards Nepal's politicians. It left no doubt in anybody's mind that the orders had come from the Prime Minister to act tough. Otherwise, Jaishankar is too sophisticated to resort to such things.[94]

CPN (UML) has however denied any statement by the then PM KP Sharma Oli against India.[95]

International reactions

See also: 2015–2016 Nepal humanitarian crisis § International reactions

  United Nations – On 11 November, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reiterated his "concern over the obstruction of essential supplies on the Nepal-India border. Acute shortages in fuel supplies continue to impede planned deliveries to earthquake-affected villages in Nepal," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "The Secretary-General underlines Nepal's right of free transit, as a landlocked nation as well as for humanitarian reasons, and calls on all sides to lift the obstructions without further delay."[96][97][98][99]

  Bangladesh – On 18 October, Tofail Ahmed, Minister of Commerce, Bangladesh, urged an end to the blockade and commented that such blockades hit at agreements like the BBIN.[100]

  European Union – On 24 October, Jean Lambert, MEP and Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to South Asia,[101] stated the unofficial 'blockade' at the Nepali border only serves to hurt the Nepali people who are still recovering from the devastating earthquakes earlier this year.[102][citation needed]

Aftermath

In 2016, during Oli's visit to China, the two countries signed a treaty on trade and transit, including a plan to build a high speed railway from Kathmandu to the Chinese border.[103] In June 2018, Nepal and China agreed on construction of the railway as a component of a series of cooperation projects approved by the two sides.[104][105] A mutual agreement over the pre-feasibility study was reached in August 2018.[106] The railway has been viewed as a way to reduce Nepal's dependence on India, which was made apparent during the 2015 Nepal blockade.[107][108]

See also

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Bibliography

  • Nepal Blockade: A Humanitarian Crisis amidst Diplomatic Kerfuffle. South Asians for Human Rights. 2016. ISBN 978-955-1489-18-2.

External links

February 07, 2023
2015, nepal, blockade, this, article, lead, section, short, adequately, summarize, points, please, consider, expanding, lead, provide, accessible, overview, important, aspects, article, march, 2018, which, began, september, 2015, lasted, about, months, economi. This article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article March 2018 The 2015 Nepal blockade which began on 23 September 2015 and lasted about six months was an economic and humanitarian crisis which severely affected Nepal and its economy Shortages of bottled gas caused a fuel crisis during the blockade Nepal has accused India of imposing an undeclared blockade 1 triggered by Indian concern about changes to the Nepali constitution violent ethnic conflict and Nepal s increasing cooperation with China India has denied the allegations stating the supply shortages have been imposed by Madheshi protesters within Nepal As a landlocked nation Nepal imports all of its petroleum supplies from India Roughly 300 fuel trucks enter from India on a normal day but this had dwindled to a sporadic passage of 5 10 fuel trucks daily since the start of the crisis though shipments of perishables like fruits and vegetables had generally been allowed to pass Moreover India had also been stopping some Nepalese trucks at the Kolkata harbour 2 The blockade choked imports of not only petroleum but also medicines and earthquake relief material 3 By March 2016 fuel shipments were mostly back to normal Contents 1 Background 1 1 Political intrigue 1 2 Concerns about Nepal s constitution 1 3 Indian concerns 1 4 BackOffIndia 1 4 1 Kalapani protest 1 5 Ties and border 1 6 Connections to the 2015 Bihar elections 1 7 Geography and China 2 Cascading shortages 2 1 Humanitarian crisis 3 Overseas protests against blockade 4 Police action against the protesters 5 Indian border police action 6 Attacks on Nepali media 7 Resolution 8 Nepalese opinions 9 International reactions 10 Aftermath 11 See also 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External linksBackground EditPolitical intrigue Edit Political intrigue is a recurring theme of Nepal Since the Nepalese royal massacre of 2001 the country broke out into civil war that only ended in 2006 the victors being UCPN M power brokers who forced Parliament and King Gyanendra to integrate them the king later was forced to resign The two main leaders of UCPN M are ex Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and party head Prachanda Despite their once powerful posts and many disgruntled members having left the party with a few cadres after disputes and failures to get economic and political traction the party never suffered from fallout as great as it has in 2015 when Baburam Bhattarai on 26 September severed ties with Prachanda and the UCPN M amidst the Constitutional crisis and early days of the blockade reducing the once formidable UCPN M to an also run political force despite its 80 600 parliamentary representation 4 Bhattarai stated chances of me joining an old or a cracked house is out of option 5 The ruling Nepali Congress itself had been under intense pressure due to failure to act on quake relief and the blockade this and the UCPN M split paved the way for Khadga Prashad Oli of CPN UML to become PM on 11 October Concerns about Nepal s constitution Edit On 20 September 2015 the long stalled Constitution of Nepal was passed with 90 approval from the representatives in Nepal s Constituent Assembly CA 6 7 66 members of Nepal s 598 strong Constituent Assembly belonging to these groups abstained from voting in protest 8 By 20 September more than 40 people including 8 police officers had been killed in clashes between the protesters and the police Not all constitution passage related protests deaths nor bandh strike were ordered by or took place among Madhesis or in the Madhesh there are various unresolved issues touched off by the passage of the constitution related to the multitude of races political interests and castes in the diverse and developing country 9 Nevertheless the fuel crisis itself has direct relation to the Madhesh as it is the transit point for the vast majority of imports two ethnic groups in the border region with India Tharus and Madhesi people have also been protesting against human rights violations alleging that the new constitution marginalized them There were also bandhs strikes declared in the Terai region even before the constitutional passage curtailing Terai business but otherwise not affecting the rest of the country 10 11 Parties representing Nepal s Madhesi and Tharu ethnic communities organized protests against the constitution leading to widespread violence in southern Nepal and a targeted campaign by Nepal security forces against protesting citizens based solely on their ethnicity 12 The Nepal government has accused India of unofficially backing this protest by slowing or stopping traffic from crossing the border into Nepal completely 13 However India has maintained that Nepal s failure to draft an inclusive Constitution is responsible for the unrest It has also been pointed out by India that the blockade is taking place on Nepal s side of the border where protestors have attacked Indian drivers who were trying to transport food and facilitate trade between the two neighbors On 23 September 2015 demonstrators in Kathmandu shouted anti India slogans to protest the fuel shortage 14 Nepal Cable Television Association blocked 42 Indian channels in protest against unofficial blockade into the country 15 Indian concerns Edit On the day that the fuel blockade began Indian Express newspaper reported that India had demanded specific changes to the new Nepali constitution While the Indian government denied this claim 16 the Indian Express reporter stood by his or her original report restating that these amendments changes were communicated by New Delhi to Kathmandu 17 In a report from The Economic Times a personnel from the Indian Sashastra Seema Bal SSB confirmed that at least till the third week of September they had orders from above to intercept fuel shipments to Nepal 18 BackOffIndia Edit Protest against blockade in Nepal Protest against Indian maps showing Kalapani territory BackoffIndia is a Twitter hashtag and social media campaign against alleged intervention by India in Nepal s internal affairs accusing it of having caused the 2015 Nepal blockade of Nepal 19 20 The blockade was caused by Madhesi protestors in Nepal who were dissatisfied with the newly adopted Constitution of Nepal 21 However the government of India and ruling party at that time held multiple meetings with Madhesi leaders and provoked them to cause blocking India too participated passively with events like refusing to accept new constitution orders were sent to border authorities at Indian side to not let any movements of goods across the border 22 The hashtag was used by Nepalese around the world to accuse India of interfering in the country s internal matters 23 During September December 2015 more than 6 750 tweets have been created in Twitter with this hashtag 24 When news of the blockage of shipments reached the government Kathmandu sent additional armed police forces to the border Many leaders of various parties claimed India had infiltrated the Madhesh with Indian protesters and Madheshi leaders refuted the infiltration allegations stating that the Madheshis should not be mistaken for Biharis or other Indians 25 The hashtag was used again in 2019 when the Nepalese discovered that India included 35 sq km Kalapani territory at the northwest frontier of Nepal within India s territory 26 Kalapani had been included in Indian territory ever since its independence and for almost a century prior to that 27 Once again conspiracy theories give rise to disaffection 28 Kalapani protest Edit The Twitter hashtag again gained popularity when the Government of India s Press Information Bureau released a map of India s territories in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation on 2 November 2019 The map showed Kalapani territory in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state of India which is disputed by Nepal as a part of Darchula District of Sudurpashchim Province Nepalese took to social media backing their government s claim to it using the hashtag 26 Ties and border Edit Due to an open border between Nepal and India citizens of both countries can move freely work and live across borders without passports Nepalese citizens moving along the border had long been an issue straining Nepal India relations Madheshis share strong socio cultural ties to the neighbouring Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh 8 India had expressed concerns over the violent protests and had asked Nepal to take Madhesi interests into consideration 29 The government of Nepal and the Nepalese media portrayed Madhesi movements as subversively backed by Indian infiltrators and as an assault on their sovereignty furthermore some Nepalis felt the crisis was ultimately an attempt to absorb Nepal into India in whole or in part citing the case of Nepali dominated Sikkim 30 Connections to the 2015 Bihar elections Edit Some critics have tied India s actions to political interest in the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election Justice Markandey Katju claimed that the blockade is directly connected with the Bihar assembly elections 31 Likewise General Ashok K Mehta accuses the Indian Government of prioritizing an election victory in Bihar over Indian Nepalese relations 32 Geography and China Edit Landlocked Nepal due to its Himalayan location and extremely basic and fragile infrastructure depends on India for almost all its import needs In 1989 India had closed 19 of the 21 border crossings after a dispute over renegotiation of lapsed trade and transit treaties between the two countries Nepal s increasing cooperation with China including its purchase of Chinese weaponry was seen as a major factor behind this blockade 33 Nevertheless India had warned against Nepal breaking the fuel stranglehold of India during the premiership of Girija Prasad Koirala 34 We are deeply concerned over the incidents of violence resulting in death and injury in regions of Nepal bordering India following the promulgation of Constitution yesterday Our freight companies and transporters have also voiced complaints about the difficulties they are facing in movement within Nepal and their security concerns due to the prevailing unrest We had repeatedly cautioned the political leadership of Nepal to take urgent steps to defuse the tension in these regions This if done in a timely manner could have avoided these serious developments Immediately after the press release all the border crossings in Nepal witnessed unusual stoppage of goods and transportation vehicles from India to Nepal even though much of the border crossings apart from the ones in Province 2 had not witnessed substantial border obstructions citation needed The blockade has caused the only international airport to deny foreign carriers fuel 35 contributing to isolating the landlocked nation from the outside world at a time when the country is still reeling from ongoing landslides blocking border trade with China following the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake Meanwhile none of the 4 billion of internationally donated quake relief funds to the Nepali government have been dispersed to survivors even after many months causing anger among Nepalis and international agencies alike 36 The Nepali government decided to stop providing fuel to private automobiles including public transport and taxis for few days at the beginning so as to distribute the fuel to government and prioritized sector 37 Some 2 000 factories are shut down as of 1 October 38 The Nepal Oil Corporation alleged and sued Indian Oil Corporation for not allowing the majority of trucks to enter Nepal 39 The unofficial Indian Blockade forced Nepalese to ride bicycles and to carpooling 40 and many also turned to electric vehicles with demand for electric motorcycles and scooters surging in response to the fuel shortage 41 The Nepal oil corporation is the only state owned company which imports and distributes petroleum in Nepal It does not have enough facility to store petroleum for even over weeks use So the public was angry for not getting petrol diesel cooking gas LPG kerosene from the state oil corporation although they stood in line for days The government of Nepal had imposed a rule to provide fuel to the public as well as private transportation on the basis of odd and even number plate system Although this system was imposed the taxi drivers and private vehicle owners faced huge problems to stand their vehicles in line for two three days or more but still not getting required fuel The oil black marketeers saw this as a big opportunity and started bringing fuel from the border points with India and selling it in Kathmandu and other places for threefold prices For instance before the Madhesi blockade a price of a liter of petrol in Kathmandu was Rupees 104 whereas after the blockade the public was forced to buy petrol from the black marketeers paying Rupees 300 to 450 for a liter 42 The government of Nepal failed to ease this fuel crisis and could not bring petroleum from China on time although it signed an agreement to buy one third of Nepal s petroleum requirement from the northern neighbor 43 This agreement was seen as a cornerstone for Nepal to end the full dependency on only one country for petroleum imports 44 The common Nepalese were hopeful to get fuel from the northern neighbor The other Nepal China border point Tatopani in Sindhupalchowk district is not functional after the Nepal earthquake 2015 because of serious damages and obstructions 45 China had also donated 1 3 million liters of petrol to Nepal after the fuel crisis through the Kerung border point 46 The Nepali government spoke of airlifting fuel and essential supplies when the talk with the Indian side was not fruitful 47 India was repeatedly saying to solve the issue with the Madheshi people because they are the ones who were blocking the border points and disrupting supplies The Indian trucks cannot go to Nepal because of the insecurity as the Terai part of Nepal was facing strikes from the period before the Nepal s new constitution was declared Some reports also came in Nepali media that the Madheshi protesters were sitting on the Indian land and throwing stones at Nepal citation needed The government of Nepal was also unable to convey true message to the International communities about the problem in Nepal at a time when some Nepali scholars were asking the government to Internationalize the issue as India had moved back from the Nepal India friendship treaty and violated the various International trade transit and commerce laws citation needed While in Kathmandu the government had asked for International help to solve the fuel crisis which was hitting the Nepalese life very hard 48 Nepal government started selling firewood in Kathmandu because there were acute shortage of cooking gas liquified petroleum gas that households were buying electrical induction cookers citation needed As Nepal faces big energy problems and power cuts using induction cookers would not be a permanent alternative to cooking gas The Government of India denied imposing a blockade stating that the truck drivers coming from India were not entering Nepal due to safety concerns resulting from the violent protests India s Ministry of External Affairs stated that the border obstructions were a result of unrest protests and demonstrations on the Nepalese side by sections of their population 39 The Government of Nepal contested India s claim stating that there were no major security concerns that would prevent the trucks from entering Nepal Nepal s spokesperson Laxmi Prasad Dhakal argued that the Madheshi protests had been happening since past few months and Indian trucks had been entering Nepal until 23 September without any problems 39 On 1 October Indian minister Sushma Swaraj officially denied Nepal s accusations India s spokesperson Vikas Swarup pointed out that India had sent 4 310 trucks to the border where they had been stranded He argued that from there onwards it was Nepal s responsibility to ensure that the trucks entered Nepal safely 49 On the other hand it is reported that the vehicles weren t allowed to enter Nepal by the Indian side thus resulting in long queues of Nepalese trucks stranded for days Inside the Indian border The Indian Oil Corporation reportedly refused to fill the Nepalese trucks following instructions from higher authorities On 6 October the Madheshi centric Nepal Sadbhawana Party criticized the Nepali media reports blaming the blockade on India Its President Rajendra Mahato stated that the blockade had been done by the Madheshi people and that India had nothing to do with it 50 The Indians alleged that the Maoists who dominate the Nepali politics were promoting a false propaganda against India 51 An editorial in the Nepali Times has claimed the Indian blockade is no longer about the Madhes and the constitution but rather that India also seems to be opposed to KP Oli replacing Sushil Koirala as prime minister and has a whole host of demands on security and other issues that we haven t even heard about 52 There is no gas no vegetable supplies no fuel for vehicles no fuel for airlines and life is about frozen We don t want this type of friendship In reference to 1950 Indo Nepal friendship treaty Khadga Prasad Oli UML Chair amp Prime minister designate of Nepal 53 Nepal has lobbied the United Nations on the obstruction 54 On 28 October the Nepal Oil Corporation and PetroChina signed an agreement to import fuel from China 55 the first fuel agreement ever between the two nations 56 China also pledged to donate 1 300 000 L 290 000 imp gal 340 000 US gal of fuel to Nepal 56 Nepal is planning to import a third of its fuel from China 57 Cascading shortages EditNearly all sectors of the economy have taken a severe hit from tourism to transport to domestic factories to agriculture The once vigorous construction industry had already come to a standstill before the blockade due to quake fears new enforcement of building code and monsoon issues most reconstruction work has been put off until after the monsoon Tourism a mainstay of hard currency already saw 40 cancellation post quake 58 since then new advisories from Germany to US have been issued due to Madhesi related issues 59 many restaurants remain closed in tourist zones and transport remains at best a hack Basic goods mostly imported from India remain in short supply Some 14 Nepali pharmaceutical factories remain shut causing widespread shortages in medicine including for infectious diseases like Tuberculosis which do not respect borders some 90 percent of raw and packaging materials usually enter from Birgunj customs point India 60 People have resorted to illegal imports of medicines from India putting patients at risk The most acute shortages of medicines in Kathmandu are for Intensive Care Unit such as high blood pressure diabetes anesthesia injectable antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen 61 62 63 In more remote areas zero supplies of medicines have come within 2 months resulting in complete lack of medicines 64 including vaccines 61 and Oxygen 65 Rice paddy production was already forecast to shrink by 18 20 percent due to several factors The poor South Asian monsoon and chemical fertilizer shortage improper seeds from post quake international donations not suited to climate account for some 10 of the expected crop half of the crop failure however due to the fuel crisis the figure is expected to worsen sharply as machinery and fertilizer are affected 66 manpower is limited due to mass overseas migration of young males 67 disproportionately leaving elderly and children behind to tend to farms To provide heat people have been increasing turning to electric heaters causing increasing burden on electricity transmission and supply with some 530 transformers having already exploded as of December 68 Humanitarian crisis Edit Main article 2015 2016 Nepal humanitarian crisis More than 3 million children under the age of 5 in Nepal are at risk of death or disease during the harsh winter months due to a severe shortage of fuel food medicines and vaccines UNICEF media press release 30 November 2015 69 70 As issue of post quake vulnerability became lost in the increasingly vocal information war between Kathmandu and New Delhi 71 a major humanitarian crisis has erupted at a time when international agencies are stretched very thin due to El Nino related agricultural disasters as well as exploding conflict in Syria Yemen and their spawned refugee crises UNICEF has followed with a warning echoing US embassy statements about the looming humanitarian disaster citing 3 million children at risk of disease and death in Nepal alone 72 On a separate note while governments focus on immediate needs and politics misanthropes take advantage of the situation in particular Human trafficking some 400 girls who have entered India from Nepal have gone missing 73 Overseas protests against blockade Edit Protest in USA against India Blockade to Nepal Nepalese residing in the UK demonstrated against the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 10 Downing Street London during his visit on 12 November 2015 The demonstrators included ex military families the so called Gurkha Regiment and non Gurkhas Sikh extremists and various other individuals dissatisfied with the Indian Prime Minister Some reports claimed that as soon as Modi arrived back in Delhi he ordered an assessment of the power which the Nepali people have in Great Britain and other places overseas 74 On 17 November the Non Resident Nepali Association USA protested against what they refer to as the Indian Government s so called economic blockade of Nepal in front of United Nations Headquarters in New York 75 Also on 30 November another branch of the same non resident Nepali group protested in front of India s embassy in Washington D C Police action against the protesters EditOn 2 November Nepalese police moved in to clear out the protesters in Birgunj 76 Despite police actions the protesters managed to return and continue the blockade 76 Protesters attacked a Nepalese police station with petrol bombs and stones 76 In retaliation the police opened fire killing one person Ashish Kumar Ram who was later identified as an Indian citizen which raised concerns over involvement of Indians in the Madhesh protests 76 77 Six Nepalese police officers were injured in the attack and more than 25 protesters and civilians were injured Since then a curfew has been imposed in Birgunj 76 On 21 November Nepalese police clashed with protesters led by Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha SLMM in the district of Saptari who were blocking vehicles from entering Nepal 78 Around 5 000 protesters were involved 78 Nepalese police shot and killed three protesters at Bhardaha Rupani and Rajbiraj 78 Another protester was killed on 22 November in Rajbiraj 78 Afterwards a curfew was imposed on all three towns 78 To complicate matters Tharuhat protestors of Tharu descent also Madhesis have clashed with the Madhesi parties seeking their own separate state different from Madhesi parties in the Western Terai zone 79 Separately Federal Limbuwan State Council FLSC representing different ethnic groups Mongoloids than the Madhesis Indo Aryans represents the most ancient of the indigenous groups of Nepal who have historically had a large degree of autonomy in the Far East Terai FLSC have been striking and enforcing vehicular bans on a separate region of the Terai for the entire time the Madhesis have been active doing the same their demands overlap Madhesh demands and territories of states both demands cannot be reconciled geographically Madhesi parties have refrained from direct confrontation with FLSC FLSC and the Mongoloid voice of the nation been almost completely ignored by all Western and Indian media they don t have the backing of India nor Kathmandu 80 81 82 Nevertheless India perceives FLSC as a pro Nepal force FLSC has also accused Kathmandu of use of excessive brutal police forces just as the Madhesi parties have 80 KP Oli Nepal s PM issued a statement from Itahari where FLSC is most active in December 2015 that The government will not spare those who take the law in their hands and air secessionist views 83 a veiled threat to FLSC actions Indian border police action EditOn 25 November Indian Sashastra Seema Bal SSB border police shot four Madhesi Nepali youths at the border 84 According to Nepali officials the youths were trying to bring food and fertilizer into Nepal and the shooting took place at Bhantabari Sunsari District on the Nepalese side of the border 84 The SSB denied this stating that the shooting took place in the Indian territory facing Nepal s Haripur village The SSB also claimed that the people shot at were smuggling prohibited materials and attacked its personnel when stopped 85 Nepalese government quickly responded with 1 million rupees in compensation to 4 victims families dispensed within 2 days 86 Attacks on Nepali media EditIn spite of an apparent agreement hashed out between India and Nepal Madhesis stated their demands were still not met 87 Madhesi protesters have stepped up attacks against Nepali media outlets with a Kathmandu Post media van torched on 28 December 88 India has also been stepping up its control of information in late December with Sashastra Seema Bal wanting to install radio stations along the border 89 In Nepal there is the view that the Madhesi protestors are being used as a proxy for Indian actions 90 Resolution EditWe failed to create pressure on the government by blocking border points we only caused suffering to ordinary people Rajendra Mahato senior leader of Unified Madhesi Front 91 India and Nepal seemed to have worked out their differences with passage of a constitutional amendment by Nepal 92 but Madhesi leaders remained defiant along with other movements of separatists autonomists Nevertheless Madhesis were the only movement with state support from India but prominent Madhesi leader Mahato has backed down as of 4 February 2016 update On 29 March 2016 panic buying caused by worries about another fuel blockade hit Kathmandu where long lines of motorists formed The prime minister had just returned from a visit to China with a number of agreements signed that will reduce long term dependence on India Nepal Oil Corporation reported normal fuel shipments but even one and a half months after the embargo was lifted domestic diesel and cooking gas deliveries have not returned to normal 93 Nepalese opinions EditIndia officially may not call it a blockade But it smells like a blockade it feels like a blockade and sounds like a blockade Kanak Mani Dixit Nepalese journalist and political analyst 94 Nepalese political analyst Amit Dhakal stated that Even a child can make out that it is a deliberate blockade 94 Kishor Bikram Malla a student leader of the CPN UML party opined that The new generation of Nepalese can go without fuel for months but we are not ready to bend before India 94 Similarly Nepalese political analyst Kanak Mani Dixit contended that Prime Minister of India authorized S Jaishankar on his conduct towards Nepal By all accounts Jaishankar was uncouth brash and imperial in his behaviour towards Nepal s politicians It left no doubt in anybody s mind that the orders had come from the Prime Minister to act tough Otherwise Jaishankar is too sophisticated to resort to such things 94 CPN UML has however denied any statement by the then PM KP Sharma Oli against India 95 International reactions EditSee also 2015 2016 Nepal humanitarian crisis International reactions United Nations On 11 November Secretary General Ban Ki Moon reiterated his concern over the obstruction of essential supplies on the Nepal India border Acute shortages in fuel supplies continue to impede planned deliveries to earthquake affected villages in Nepal said spokesman Stephane Dujarric The Secretary General underlines Nepal s right of free transit as a landlocked nation as well as for humanitarian reasons and calls on all sides to lift the obstructions without further delay 96 97 98 99 Bangladesh On 18 October Tofail Ahmed Minister of Commerce Bangladesh urged an end to the blockade and commented that such blockades hit at agreements like the BBIN 100 European Union On 24 October Jean Lambert MEP and Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to South Asia 101 stated the unofficial blockade at the Nepali border only serves to hurt the Nepali people who are still recovering from the devastating earthquakes earlier this year 102 citation needed Aftermath EditIn 2016 during Oli s visit to China the two countries signed a treaty on trade and transit including a plan to build a high speed railway from Kathmandu to the Chinese border 103 In June 2018 Nepal and China agreed on construction of the railway as a component of a series of cooperation projects approved by the two sides 104 105 A mutual agreement over the pre feasibility study was reached in August 2018 106 The railway has been viewed as a way to reduce Nepal s dependence on India which was made apparent during the 2015 Nepal blockade 107 108 See also EditAnti Indian sentimentReferences Edit Nepal PM Wants India to Lift Undeclared Blockade NDTV Retrieved 12 September 2016 IOC refuses to provide fuel despite assurances The Kathmandu Post 4 October 2015 Arora Vishal November 2015 R I P India s Influence in Nepal The Diplomat Bhattarai severs ties with UCPN Maoist The Kathmandu Post 27 September 2015 Bhattarai quits UCPN Maoist resigns from parliament The Kathmandu Post 26 September 2015 Majumder Sanjoy 22 September 2015 Why India is concerned about Nepal s constitution BBC Retrieved 12 December 2015 Nepal passes secular constitution amid protests Aljazeera 20 September 2015 Retrieved 12 December 2015 a b Satish Gurung 30 September 2015 A Nepalese Student Explains BackOffIndia The Quint Retrieved 1 October 2015 Nepal passes secular constitution amid protests Al Jazeera 20 September 2015 Nepal Terai Agitation and the Constitution Making Process Analysis EurAsia Review 12 September 2015 Gyanu Adhikari 20 September 2015 Unveiling Nepal s constitution amid deadly protests Al Jazeera Phuyal Hari 18 September 2015 Nepal s New Constitution 65 Years in the Making The Diplomat Retrieved 12 December 2015 Nepal blockade Doctors warn of medicine crisis BBC Retrieved 12 December 2015 Nepal Rations Fuel as Political Crisis With India Worsens The New York Times 28 September 2015 Retrieved 20 December 2015 Nepal blocks Indian TV channels over blockade BBC 29 September 2015 Retrieved 20 December 2015 Mukesh Rawat October 2015 Nepal s Constitution and Lessons for India The Diplomat Make seven changes to your Constitution India tells Nepal The Indian Express 24 September 2015 Nepalese thorn will only get worse for India Business Standard 20 October 2015 Nepal constitution Mind your own business media tell India BBC Retrieved 11 December 2015 Outrage over India s intervention in Nepal s affairs BackOffIndia trends on social media Daily News And Analysis dna webdesk 22 September 2015 Retrieved 12 December 2015 Nepal Blockade A Humanitarian Crisis amidst Diplomatic Kerfuffle South Asians for Human Rights 2016 pp 26 27 ISBN 978 955 1489 18 2 Finally on September 23 2015 the United Democratic Madhesi Front UDMF decided to block all the major highways and customs points bordering India thus effectively blocking all movement of goods and services to Nepal Since India was the conduit for Nepal s third country trade that too was affected Chaturvedy Rajeev Ranjan Malone David M 2012 A Yam between Two Boulders Nepal s Foreign Policy Caught between India and China in Sebastian von Einsiedel David M Malone Suman Pradhan eds Nepal in Transition From People s War to Fragile Peace Cambridge University Press p 287 ISBN 978 1 107 00567 9 Parashar Utpal 23 September 2015 BackOffIndia Nepal protesters slam interference over statute Hindustan Times BackOffIndia Twitter Archived from the original on 25 September 2015 Retrieved 12 December 2015 Don t mistake Madhesi people for Bihari or Indian says Mahanta Thakur The Kathmandu Post Retrieved 1 October 2015 a b India s updated political map stirs controversy in Nepal Aljazeera Retrieved 9 November 2019 Sam Cowan The Indian checkposts Lipu Lekh and Kalapani School of Oriental and African Studies 14 December 2015 Sam Cowan The Indian checkposts Lipu Lekh and Kalapani School of Oriental and African Studies 14 December 2015 Received wisdom on the start of Indian occupation stems from the views of Bhuddi Narayan Shrestha which have been endlessly repeated in just about every article written on the subject Make seven changes to your Constitution India tells Nepal The Indian Express 23 September 2015 India s spectacular policy failure in Nepal CatchNews com Retrieved 4 June 2019 Nepal blockade linked to Bihar votes says Katju The Statesman 3 November 2015 Retrieved 3 November 2015 Mehta Ashok K 3 November 2015 As unrest continues Nepal s Madhesis are outsiders in their own country Firstpost Retrieved 3 November 2015 Barbara Crossette 11 April 1989 Nepal s Economy Is Gasping as India a Huge Neighbor Squeezes It Hard The New York Times Warning from Indian envoy derailed Nepal China oil pact in the past Bijukche kathmandupost ekantipur com Retrieved 4 June 2019 The Kathmandu Post Govt weighing options to airlift aviation fuel ekantipur com Retrieved 1 October 2015 Omar Havana via Getty Images 3 September 2015 Nepal Hasn t Spent Any of The 4 Billion in Donations Since Earthquake HuffPost Retrieved 1 October 2015 The Kathmandu Post Govt not to distribute fuel to pvt vehicles from Thursday ekantipur com Retrieved 1 October 2015 The Kathmandu Post 2 000 factories remain shut due to Tarai unrest ekantipur com Retrieved 1 October 2015 a b c Sugam Pokharel 3 October 2015 Nepal accuses India of trade blockade amid fuel crisis CNN Nepalis Adapt to Fuel Shortage by Carpooling Riding Bikes The New York Times Associated Press 3 October 2015 Retrieved 22 January 2016 Electric two wheelers In limbo The Annapurna Express 7 February 2018 Retrieved 13 August 2022 Black marketeers filling fuel demand in Valley kathmandupost ekantipur com Retrieved 11 December 2015 Nepal inks fuel agreement with China to ease fuel crisis Erewise www erewise com Retrieved 11 December 2015 Nepal signs agreement with China to ease fuel crisis Channel NewsAsia Retrieved 11 December 2015 China to provide Nepal oil to ease crisis Gulf Times 24 October 2015 Retrieved 11 December 2015 Fuel strapped Nepal Sends Team to China to Ease Supply NDTV com Retrieved 11 December 2015 Nepal govt mulls airlifting fuel to ease crisis Times of India The Times of India Retrieved 11 December 2015 Govt calls for help to ease fuel crisis The Himalayan Times The Himalayan Times 27 October 2015 Retrieved 11 December 2015 Sushma denies Nepal blockade The Telegraph 1 October 2015 Wrong to blame India for blockade on the border NPS The Times of India 6 October 2015 Nepal burning The real problem at hand merinews com http nepalitimes com article editorial editorial proxy war blockade is not about the constitution anymore 2637 Nepali Times Title The Indian blockade is no longer about the Madhes and the constitution 9 October 2015 AFP Nepali leader says India breaking international law Bangkok Post Retrieved 21 August 2021 Nepal turns to UN over obstruction of trade point with India The Indian Express 3 October 2015 Sharma Kiran 31 October 2015 China deal ends an Indian monopoly in Nepal Nikkei Asian Review Archived from the original on 1 November 2015 Retrieved 2 November 2015 a b Krishnan Ananth 29 October 2015 China says will support Nepal sovereignty after landmark fuel deal India Today Retrieved 2 November 2015 Mandhana Niharika 29 October 2015 Nepal Signs Fuel Deal With China Amid Supply Disruptions The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 2 November 2015 Unrest Challenges Nepal s Post Earthquake Tourism Recovery Skift 17 October 2015 Retrieved 5 November 2015 The Kathmandu Post Come back tourists Retrieved 5 November 2015 The Kathmandu Post Dearth of medicine hits health services Retrieved 5 November 2015 a b The Kathmandu Post Shortage of drugs hits patients in several districts Retrieved 5 November 2015 The Kathmandu Post Dearth of essential drugs hits Sarlahi Retrieved 5 November 2015 The Kathmandu Post Inhuman blockade Retrieved 5 November 2015 Prensa Latina News Agency Medicine Shortage Increases in Nepal by South Blockade plenglish com Khalid Saif 21 November 2015 India s blockade snuffs out Nepal s medical lifeline Al Jazeera Retrieved 26 November 2015 The Kathmandu Post Paddy output to fall sharply may hurt econ farm income Retrieved 5 November 2015 Anup Kaphle 24 March 2014 Nepal once known for farming now exports people migrants earn big but face risks The Washington Post Retrieved 5 November 2015 NEA s 530 transformers explode The Himalayan Times The Himalayan Times 28 December 2015 Retrieved 22 January 2016 Nepal Serious shortage of essential supplies threatens millions of children this winter UNICEF UNICEF 30 November 2015 Retrieved 22 January 2016 Thomson Reuters 1 December 2015 UNICEF 3 million Nepali children at risk Reuters Retrieved 22 January 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last has generic name help Nepal lobbies for UN General Assembly president Zee News 30 August 2010 UNICEF warns over new humanitarian crisis in Nepal oneindia com 8 November 2015 The Kathmandu Post Over 400 girls missing in India Retrieved 22 January 2016 Roy Shubhajit PMO asks High Commission for report on Nepalese protesters in London The Indian Express Retrieved 18 November 2015 Memorandum submitted to UN against India s blockade The Kathmandu Post Retrieved 18 November 2015 a b c d e Gurubacharya Binaj 2 November 2015 Police in south Nepal fire at protesters Indian man killed The Washington Post Retrieved 2 November 2015 dead link Indian man killed by police during violent clash in Birgunj Nepal Live Video 3 November 2015 via YouTube a b c d e Khadga Jitendra 23 November 2015 At least 3 killed in Saptari The Kathmandu Post Retrieved 23 November 2015 Tharuhat intact far west cadres clash The Himalayan Times The Himalayan Times 18 August 2015 a b Limbuwan committee enforces vehicular strike The Kathmandu Post 24 January 2016 Nepalnews com News from Nepal as it happens Limbuwan withdraws general strike in east The Himalayan Times The Himalayan Times 24 September 2015 Those airing secessionist remarks won t be spared says PM KP Sharma Oli Watch Full Video Onlinecanadanepal com Retrieved 23 December 2015 a b 4 Nepalis hit by bullets as Indian SSB opens fire in Sunsari village near border The Himalayan Times 25 November 2015 Retrieved 25 November 2015 Three smugglers three SSB personnel injured in border clash Business Standard 25 November 2015 REPUBLICA My Republica Govt releases Rs 1 m to kin of each Tarai protest dead Retrieved 22 January 2016 Nepal s steps to resolve Madhesi crisis India s positive response helps The Indian Express 22 December 2015 Retrieved 22 January 2016 The Kathmandu Post Kantipur van torched Retrieved 22 January 2016 SSB wants radio towers along India Nepal border Deccan Herald 25 December 2015 Retrieved 22 January 2016 No Author Proxy war Editorial Nepali Times Retrieved 22 January 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last has generic name help Front regrets failed blockade Nepali Times 4 February 2016 Retrieved 4 February 2016 Nepal Madhesi community rejects constitutional amendment as incomplete The Indian Express 24 January 2016 Retrieved 16 January 2019 Embargo fears set off gasoline panic buying kathmandupost ekantipur com Retrieved 16 January 2019 a b c d I will never forgive what India has done to me The Telegraph Kolkota Retrieved 4 June 2019 Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli s Party Trashes Reports Of His Anti India Remarks NDTV com NAM NEWS NETWORK namnewsnetwork org Archived from the original on 18 June 2018 Retrieved 11 November 2015 Indian government block border between Nepal and India 11 November 2015 via YouTube UN chief calls for lifting of blockade on Indo Nepal border MSN Archived from the original on 17 November 2015 Retrieved 12 November 2015 UN chief calls for lifting of blockade on Indo Nepal border The Times of India Kallol Bhattacherjee 19 October 2015 Bangladesh Minister pitches for end to Nepal blockade The Hindu Retrieved 3 November 2015 Jean Lambert European Parliament Archived from the original on 29 October 2015 Retrieved 3 November 2015 Review Nepal European Union calls on India to ensure essential supplies to Nepal Review Nepal News Archived from the original on 27 October 2015 Retrieved 3 November 2015 Adhikari Deepak 19 September 2018 Nepal gets access to China ports analysts say it s a huge deal Al Jazeera Retrieved 22 September 2018 Hu Yongqi 22 June 2018 Railway project to link Tibet Nepal China Daily Retrieved 22 September 2018 Pandey Lekhanath 8 July 2018 How a China Nepal railway could fast track change in the Himalayan nation and redraw relations with India South China Morning Post Retrieved 22 September 2018 中尼跨境铁路预可行性研究评审会及中尼铁路技术交流在西安举行 National Railway Administration of China 24 August 2018 Retrieved 22 September 2018 Sangraula Bikash 11 October 2019 To decrease its dependence on India Nepal eagerly awaits China rail plan The Japan Times Retrieved 19 October 2021 Nepal pushes to end dependency on India with China rail tunnel deals Reuters 13 October 2019 Retrieved 19 October 2021 Bibliography EditNepal Blockade A Humanitarian Crisis amidst Diplomatic Kerfuffle South Asians for Human Rights 2016 ISBN 978 955 1489 18 2 External links Edit Nepal portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2015 Nepal blockade amp oldid 1131800267, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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