Nepal calls in Indian envoy as bilateral unease over new constitution remains

Kathmandu: The simmering unease in the Indo-Nepal ties over Nepal’s new Constitution was underlined on Friday with the government in Kathmandu calling in the Indian envoy to raise the issue of “obstruction” in the supply of essential goods coming in from the Indian side, on a day when India again pressed for addressing of the unrest in this country “credibly and effectively”. Indian envoy Ranjit Rae was called in by the Acting Nepalese Foreign Minister Khaga Raj Adhikari after hundreds of protesters opposing the new Constitution blocked a key trade checkpoint on the Indo-Nepal border. According to sources, Rae told the Nepalese leader that the obstruction was due to unrest, protests and demonstrations on the Nepalese side, by sections of their population. [caption id=“attachment_2442050” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Protests in Nepal. AP[/caption] Significantly, earlier in the day, India had asked Nepal to address the underlying causes of the continuing unrest “credibly and effectively”. Adhikari, who is the Acting Foreign Minister as Mahendra Bahadur Pandey is in the US for the UN General Assembly meeting, called in Rae at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu and discussed the current situation at the border checkpoints. Adhikari also sought Indian government’s cooperation in uninterrupted movement of vehicles carrying essential supplies to Nepal, according to a Nepalese Foreign Ministry statement. While highlighting the significance of excellent relations existing between the two governments and peoples, he stressed on the need to remove the lapses in the supply chain that have surfaced in recent days. Adhikari assured the Indian envoy that there would not be any security problem inside the Nepalese territory for the transport vehicles since arrangements are already in place for their security. Earlier this week, the ministry had issued a statement saying Indian freight forwarders and transporters had voiced complaints about the difficulties they are facing in movement within Nepal and their security fears due to the prevailing unrest. Minister Adhikari also reiterated Nepal’s full commitment for ensuring security of life and property of the Indian nationals in Nepal, according to the ministry. Ambassador Rae said that he would convey the issues raised by the minister to the Indian government. The meeting came in the backdrop of reports in the Nepalese media that Indian checkposts at the border had tightened security checking in the wake of the intensified agitation in Nepal’s Terai plains by Madhesi parties. Rae also called on Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and met CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal. According to reports, the leaders told Rae that the two nations should improve their relations and the problems of Nepal should be dealt by Nepali leaders themselves. The leaders also drew Rae’s attention to the crisis at the entry points to Nepal from India where Nepal-bound cargo and freight have been left stranded at the Indian side of the border which they alleged was due to clearance not being given by Indian authorities. Rae stated that the problems were not created due to India. He said the obstruction was caused by the protests in Nepal’s Tarai/Madhes region. Hundreds of trucks loaded with essential goods, cooking gas cylinders and petroleum products were stalled at the Nepal-India border due to the ongoing agitation. The protesters belonging to the Joint Madhesi Front were opposing the provision in the new Constitution that divides the country into seven federal provinces. The agitating Madhesi Front claims that the Constitution does not guarantee enough rights and representation to the Madhesi and Tharu communities residing in southern Nepal. Madhesis are Indian-origin inhabitants of the Terai plains bordering India. At least 40 people have died in over a month of clashes between police and protesters from the Madhesi and Tharu communities and ethnic minorities who say the new internal borders leave them under-represented in the country’s Parliament. The blocked checkpoint in Birgunj which lies 200 km south of the capital, serves as a major transit point between Nepal and India. Although the shutdown in the region was lifted temporarily on Friday due to the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Azha, the blockade continued at the Nepal-India border check point affecting normal life. PTI