E-Paper
Nepal unrest: Markets in border districts of UP deserted; locals anxious over safety of kin
Over 200 Indian trucks stranded in Nepal because of barricading in Belahiya (Nepal) to check cross-border movement; 500 trucks from Nepal stuck on Indian side in Sonauli (Maharajganj)
GORAKHPUR/LAKHIMPUR KHERI/BAHRAICH The student-led ‘GenZ’ protests in Nepal on Wednesday cast a shadow on Uttar Pradesh’s border districts that saw deserted markets and people grappling with cancelled travel plans and severed family contacts across the frontier.
Pilibhit, Shravasti, Lakhimpur Kheri, Maharajganj, Bahraich, Balrampur and Siddharthnagar remained on high alert in wake of the unrest in the neighbouring Himalayan country.
The protests, which initially broke out in Kathmandu and other hill districts, now spread to the Terai plains, near the Indian border, which led to UP government upping vigil in the border region and restricting movement, said officials.
“The force has been placed on high alert. Security has been upped, with strict checks, intensified patrolling and tightened vigilance across all border posts to prevent any spillover of violence into Indian territory,” said Arun Pandey, senior inspector of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
He said that SSB personnel were coordinating with hotel and tourism operators to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Nepal and discouraging tourists from entering curfew-bound areas of the neghbouring country.
“The situation remains tense across the border, but is under control on the Indian side. Magistrates have been deployed for round-the-clock monitoring in Nichlol, Jhulnipura, Thuthibari and Nautanva,” sid Maharajganj district magistrate Santosh Sharma.
Over 200 Indian trucks were stranded in Nepal because of barricading in Belahiya (Nepal) to check cross-border movement while over 500 trucks from Nepal were stuck on the Indian side in Sonauli (Maharajganj), said officials.
Jitu Patwari, a driver from Bihar, said: “We are facing threats to our safety. With no clarity on when we will be allowed to return, we are forced to spend nights inside our trucks without proper food or shelter.”
Another driver, Jitendra Chaudhary from Ahmedabad, expressed fear that their vehicles could be damaged amid the ongoing demonstrations. He added that the restoration of WhatsApp and Facebook had finally enabled them to reconnect with their families after 10 days of communication blackout.
Local travel agencies on the Indian side reported a significant decline in business due to the unrest.
In Bahraich, SSB 42 Battalion commandant Ganga Singh Udavat said movement across the Indo-Nepal border had dropped to one-fourth of normal. “Only those with urgent needs or family reasons are allowed to cross after intensive checking. Additional troops and sniffer dog squads have been deployed to prevent anti-social elements from crossing over,” he said.
The unrest also affected families with cross-border ties. Ali Niyaz, a Nepalganj resident married to a woman from Bahraich, said his wife and one-year-old daughter had travelled to India just before the protests. “They are stuck now. I am waiting for things to calm down so that they can return safely,” he said. His wife Zareena, speaking from Bahraich, added, “I came here for just two days. Now I don’t know when the situation will improve.”
Similar concerns were echoed in bordering Bahraich. Taufiq Ahmed Shah, whose wife is from Kathmandu, said her family lives near the Prime Minister’s residence there, one of the worst-affected areas. “I am worried about her safety,” he said.
Locals said the temporary social media ban in Nepal had even cut off communication with relatives across the border. The restoration of WhatsApp and Facebook brought some relief, but anxiety persists.
Nepal protests affected border trade in UP, directly hitting Bahraich’s Rupaidiha market adjacent the Indo-Nepal border. The usually bustling bazaar, which welcomes thousands of Nepali citizens daily, wore a deserted look. Traders said business had dropped drastically as the flow of Nepali customers came to a standstill.
The situation was similar in Lakhimpur Kheri, where markets in the Gaurifanta border area wore a deserted look due to thin arrivals from Nepal. Locals said they had avoided visiting Dhangarhi town across the border amid violent protests there.
“Amid tight security on the India-Nepal border at Gaurifanta, 343 Nepali nationals were allowed entry into their country after proper verification while 177 Indians were allowed entry into India through Kheri on Wednesday,” said district magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal, quoting SSB officials.
Sanjiv (goes by only first name) who resides in Nepal, but runs a provisional store in Banigawan market in Gaurifanta area in Lakhimpur Kheri, said owing to unrest in Nepal, he was unable to go to his shop across the border.
UP DGP Rajeev Krishna put the police on high alert and instructed that enhanced patrolling, strengthened surveillance and deployment of additional police force be ensured along the border to deal with any contingency, according to an official statement.
A special control room was set up at the police headquarters in Lucknow under the additional director general of police (law and order) to assist Indian citizens stranded in Nepal.
Three helpline numbers will remain operational 24×7 – 0522-2390257, 0522-2724010, and 9454401674 (WhatsApp also on 9454401674).
Of the seven UP districts that share borders with Nepal, Shravasti, Balrampur and Bahraich alone account for 243 km of open border. Along the border, there are 16 check posts in Shravasti, 21 in Balrampur and 36 in Bahraich, all of which were now on high alert.
