Birgunj border point cleared at Indian request: Home Ministry

KATHMANDU, Nov 2: Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday said the Nepal-India border checkpoint in Birgunj was cleared after persistent requests from the Indian side to release the Indian cargo vehicles long stranded due to the Madhesi protests.
However, the Indian side at the check point sadly did not reciprocate, citing directions from higher authorities. “Even as the obstruction at the border was cleared with the support of the Indian side, the Indian authorities refused to allow in vehicles stranded on Indian territory,” Home Ministry Spokesperson Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said.
Drivers of the Indian cargo vehicles had staged a sit-in at the Birgunj-based Indian consulate, demanding the reopening of the border and safe return home. They also pressured the authorities not to delay easing the border passage as they were running out of expenses.
But instead of helping their Nepali counterparts, Indian police remained silent as Madhesi protestors aligned with the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) reclaimed the border checkpoint as soon as the 100 or so Indian cargo trucks passed the checkpoint into Indian territory, according to the Home Ministry.
It was important for us to ease the situation at the Birgunj border as Nepal receives over 70 percent of  its total imports from India, he said, adding that they were therefore not in any position to delay responding to the  Indian requests.  
Nepal police cleared the border obstruction, removed the UDMF cadres who have been staging a sit-in at the  checkpoint for more than one month. During the operation, police arrested a few people, including two Indians -- Mohammad Jamaruddin, 60, and Samad Ansari, 33, of East Champaraman, Motihari in India.  
Indian security forces allowed the Madhesi protestors to reorganize their protest on no-man’s-land although they had prevented them from doing so earlier in the morning, he added.
As a result the situation turned violent and the protestors started attacking the policemen and the police post. Police were compelled to use force in self-defense and this resulted in the death of an Indian involved in the protest.

Related story

Jhulaghat border point along Nepal-India border to remain open...