The fuel crisis in Nepal is getting worse each day, and yet there is no sign that it will abate anytime soon. It has been some time now that the general population has been suffering due to the lack of supplies, especially petrol and diesel. Important public institutions such as schools and hospitals are also facing the brunt and may soon be forced to shut down at least some of their services. Private businesses have also been hit hard, and many of them have closed down. There is a general perception across Nepal that India is responsible for this ongoing blockade. While Nepali protestors have shut down some border crossings, it is also true that the Indian government has curtailed movement across the border.

Unsurprisingly, anger towards India is increasing by the day. The goodwill that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gained during his two visits to Nepal has, by now, been all but squandered. Yet, the Indian government does not seem very concerned, possibly because the Indian media has largely remained oblivious to the dire situation at the border. It is high time that the Indian government recognised the impact of the blockade on Nepal and the way Nepalis have begun to view New Delhi’s high-handedness. Yesterday, Nepalis took to twitter using the hashtag #DonateOilToIndianEmbassy which was a symbolic protest against India. If the blockade continues, it could soon result in a humanitarian crisis of some sorts.

Even if India is keen on influencing our political class to amend the constitution, making the inhabitants of an entire country suffer is not the way to go about it. India is a democracy, and it would do well to adopt more subtle tactics.

Nepal’s politicians have also failed to address the crisis very well. Protests in the Tarai have intensified since the unofficial blockade was imposed, and there is rising anger towards the political class. Granted, there have been a few attempts to engage with Madhesi leaders. However, these efforts have largely been half-hearted and ineffectual. Symbolically, no senior leader from a national party has tried to reach out directly to the Madhesi protestors. Senior leaders from the major parties have instead made derogatory remarks about Madhesi grievances. Only former Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai, among national-level leaders, has made an effort to directly reach out to the Madhesi and Tharu population. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala did make a belated visit to Tikapur, where the Tarai unrest started, but there has been little follow-up to what could have been a path-breaking initiative. It is essential that other leaders do this as well, and try to reduce the distance between the hills and the Tarai.

There is widespread acknowledgement that 2015 has been the bleakest year in Nepali history since at least the end of the Maoist war in 2006. First came the Great Earthquake, then increased societal polarisation during the final stage of the constitution-drafting process followed by the protests in the Tarai and an unofficial blockade imposed by India. We hope that our politicians, from both the major parties and Madhes-based ones, will be able to reach an agreement soon and negotiate an end to the unhelpful blockade before the Dashain season begins.