‘Behind shutters, we heard gunshots’: Bengal and Tripura PhD scholars stranded amid Nepal unrest

Speaking to The Indian Express, Mayukh Bhattacharyya said, “When we came out of the conference, we saw that the entire place was burning. Suddenly, we noticed a group from the mob running towards us. The four of us ran towards a momo shop which was open and hid there. From behind the closed shutters, we could hear the crowds and gunshots. Late in the evening, we went to our hotel.”

He added that while the situation remained grim, they were being provided food and water at the hotel. “We cannot venture out as per Army instructions but then we have to see the monetary aspect also. The food prices will rise. Also, due to disturbed network, online transactions are becoming difficult. We do not know for how long we have to stay. After a few days, it will become difficult for us,” Bhattacharyya said.

Another scholar, Talukdar, said, “We cannot believe what is happening. We got to know that the bus terminus was burnt, roads were blocked, there are also terrible mobile network issues in our area of Kathmandu. The curfew is on and the Army can be seen everywhere. Our families are very worried now.”

Since September 7, the scholars have been confined to the hotel. “The next day from the terrace of the hotel we could see the Parliament burning and mobs running in the streets and looting shops,” Bhattacharyya recounted. He added that the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had advised them to remain indoors until the situation normalised. “We have been told to postpone our journey and stay inside the hotel for safety. If the situation worsens, we would seek evacuation support from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to return to India.”

According to the scholars, the road journey from Kathmandu to the Indo-Nepal border takes 17-18 hours, and “nobody is ready to risk such a long ride”. Airline tickets, they said, had become prohibitively expensive after limited flights resumed. Talukdar, meanwhile, noted: “I do not have a passport, so I can only enter Bengal by road. We are just praying that everything calms down in Nepal.”

The four scholars, like others stranded in Kathmandu, are spending sleepless nights, while their families in Bengal anxiously wait for the borders to open or for evacuation support.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Police has issued a helpline number on social media for those who “require assistance for returning to India through Panitanki or Pashupati Check Post under Darjeeling district.” The mobile/Whatsapp number is 9147889078, while the landline number is 0354-2252057.