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Journalism of Courage
Indians Stranded in Nepal Update: Many people who came from Nepal to India – for planned trips or to wrap up small tasks – are now finding it hard to return, with security forces putting curbs on movement across the border. The development comes against the backdrop of Gen Z protests in the neighbouring country taking a violent turn.
An official from India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) stationed at the checkpost explained, “The curbs are not from our side. We allowed people to cross until yesterday, but many were turned back at the Nepal checkpost. This morning, we received information about a jailbreak in Birgunj, and the situation has been tense overall. There have also been reports of looting in the aftermath of the vandalism. Because of these developments, the Nepal authorities requested that we stop people from crossing. The increased checks on people are putting extra strain on their forces. The Nepal Army has also conducted a march in Birgunj to bring the situation under control. For now, we are temporarily stopping people from crossing due to security concerns, though we are still allowing those with emergency circumstances to pass.”
The Sirsiya River, which runs beneath the connecting Maitri Bridge, marks the partition on the India-Nepal border. When The Indian Express visited the area, many people could be seen trying to reason with security forces, while a few occasionally attempted to sneak via the river below.
One man, wearing a pink shirt and rolled-up jeans, carried his shoes in one hand while holding his younger son’s hand with the other. His wife, dressed in a matching pink salwar suit, followed with their elder son. However, as soon as the SSB personnel spotted them approaching the Indian border, they asked them to turn back. After a brief moment of resistance, they complied.
On the Indian side of the border, among the many people waiting to cross was Arun Sharaf, accompanied by his two grandsons, Ayush and Anmol.
The elderly man approached an SSB officer and asked, “Apne desh bhi nahi ja sakte (We can’t even go to our own country)?”
Arun had travelled to Muzaffarpur from Nepal to visit his daughter, who is married on this side of the border. “I went to visit her on Saturday, and on Sunday, we heard about the protests. While my daughter insisted we stay, my son told us that the border forces were letting people with Nepalese identity cards through.”
After standing there for nearly an hour and making several phone calls, Arun decided to return his insulin, which he had bought before going towards the checkpost, to a nearby store. “I don’t know how long we’ll be stuck here. It’ll be safer at the store, and I’ll pick it up when they let us through,” he said.
Arun frequently crosses into India via the Maitri Bridge to buy medicines. “They are cheaper on this side,” he said.
Many such people cross every day for such seemingly mundane reasons. Shreeram Sorariya was also waiting on his bicycle, loaded with a white plastic bag full of rations. “I have a shop in Nepal. I came yesterday to get some stock, but now I’m stuck here,” he told the officers.
“It’s for your own safety,” an SSB officer told him, explaining the situation. “Reports of looting have come from there. Stay here for a while until the situation improves.”
Similarly, Indians are stranded on the other side, too. Gaurav Rao, a Raxaul local who works at a hotel, said his friend Priya Gupta was stuck in Nepal. “She went to Nepal on Monday morning to collect her college degree and certificates,” he said, adding that it is common for people to pursue education on the other side of the border. “There are schools like DAV and DPS in Birgunj, and people from Raxaul get their kids enrolled there. Half of the people have homes on each side of the border or have relatives.”
A few kilometres away, at another smaller checkpost, the two border forces were visible to each other.
Raju Yadav, after some convincing, was allowed by Indian security personnel to cross into Nepal, but was soon told to return to the Indian side. Standing on the “no man’s land” near checkpost 393, he showed his Aadhar card. “There are strict orders not to let anyone through,” an SSB officer told him.
Many truckers, too, are waiting outside the Raxaul Land Port, some kilometres away. The large facility, designed to facilitate export-import activities, is congested, with hundreds of trucks and tankers lined up both inside and outside the premises.
“On a typical day, nearly 500 loaded trucks and tankers pass through here,” explained an SSB officer. “But due to the destruction of some trucks and tankers in Nepal, no one is being allowed through for safety reasons.”
Many truckers, especially those carrying perishable items, shared concerns that a prolonged delay would result in their products being spoiled.
Buses filled with tourists were also halted at intervals at some distance from the Maitri bridge. Sunil Dewre, a businessman from Pune, said, “It’s better to turn back than risk getting stranded in such conditions. We had heard the news, but we didn’t realise it had spread all over Nepal. After hearing what the forces are saying, it’s clear that it would be too risky to go there right now.”
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