Opinion
Desperate times
Due to the Indian blockade Nepali people are being forced to live like refugees in their own countryLaxmi Bilas Koirala
September 20 was an historic occasion for Nepal as this was the day the world’s youngest republic adopted a new statute. The promulgation of the constitution by a majority of the elected Constituent Assembly was a notable event. Even as this event was being celebrated all over the country, some Madhes-based parties launched a protest claiming that the Constitution had failed to address their concerns. Since then, the major political parties—CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and Nepali Congress—and the agitating parties have been holding formal and informal talks on a regular basis but nothing has come out of it. Negotiations between political parties are always difficult, and it may take time for the dialogue to result in an agreement that is acceptable to all the parties concerned. Anyway, the political impasse is Nepal’s internal matter and shall be resolved within the country.
Uncalled for
However, the situation which was already tense due to the Madhes agitation, was exacerbated when India imposed an undeclared blockade of Nepal on the pretext of the Madhesi protests in the border areas. Consequently, fuel and other daily essentials, including life-saving drugs, have become scarce. The actual purpose of the blockade is to exert pressure on Nepal to amend some of the constitutional provisions with which India is not happy.
The trade embargo is an attempt by India to control our internal affairs and secure its interests in Nepal. The excuse given by the Indian government that transporters are not willing to ferry goods into Nepal due to security threats from Madhesi protesters in the border areas is not entirely true. With the blockade having crossed 100 days, it has become like a silent war between the two countries, and the Nepali people are the ones bearing the brunt of it. They have been living like refugees in their own homes. There is an acute shortage of food to eat, gas to cook and gasoline to move about; and the people are desperately searching for alternatives. The Nepali people have been left alone to fend for themselves due to the inhuman, illegal and unethical economic blockade by our friendly neighbour to fulfil its social, political and economic interests.
Scarcity of resources
The few who knew that a blockade was coming might have hoarded daily commodities, but the general public did not have an opportunity or capacity to do so. And goods started disappearing from the market in a matter of days. Serpentine queues of vehicles can be seen at gasoline pumps while many motorists have switched to commuting on foot. Lack of liquefied petroleum gas has forced people to start using kerosene or firewood to cook food for their children. The blockade has badly affected the daily lives of the people. People have started to change their food habit, and some have been saving food and daily essentials for fear of starving to death in case they run out. The daily routine of the people is solely concentrated on looking for food, petrol, cooking gas and medicines instead of fulfilling their core responsibilities.
Industries and businesses are closed while most public vehicles remain grounded. All the public vehicles that are plying on the roads are overcrowded, and most private vehicles have chosen to stay off the roads. We have schools, students and teachers; but many schools have been forced to remain shut due to lack of public transportation. Students have been forced to stay home since the blockade started more than three months ago. Development projects too have been badly affected due to lack of construction materials and fuel. Crops are being damaged in the fields. Forests are being cut down for firewood, which will harm the environment in the future. A few days ago, a child in our neighbourhood was ill. We could not get a taxi to take him to hospital. When we finally got him to hospital, we found that it too was running short of equipment and medicines. I became sad and felt that we were dying an untimely death because of the inhuman behaviour of our neighbour.
Living like a refugee
Blockades are used by powerful countries to force change on other countries. The ongoing embargo is likely to push us back 25 years from the digital age we have just entered. I went over several international laws and conventions and found that we have the right to survive freely as citizens of a sovereign country. Free trade and transit is the right of landlocked Nepal. We are not asking for anything more from India except our rights. It is not fair for a powerful neighbour to show hegemonic behaviour. This also raises a question about the relevance of the UN or Saarc. If they cannot do anything when one of its member states is put in distress due to the actions of another member state, what are they for? Even though we are living in our own country and in our own house, we have been deprived of the basic necessities of life as if we were refugees. Where is justice in the world, when will we get it, and where are the human rights watchdogs? I would not be surprised if our neighbouring country asks at global forums how we can be refugees when we are living in our own country.
Koirala is director general of the Department of Information