Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 10: The unrest in Nepal has affected people on both sides of the border. The wave of student and youth protests in Nepal has snowballed into a major crisis, crippling normal life in Kathmandu and has also spilled across the border hitting India’s tourism sector.
The governments in the states bordering with Nepal have put the police on high alert to prevent any possible influx into the country. The 1751-km-long unfenced international front with Nepal has been put on high alert by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Apart from increased patrolling, every traveller is being thoroughly checked.
Authorities confirmed that while the Indo-Nepal border has not been sealed, vigil has been stepped up. The SSB, which mans the open border, has intensified patrolling to prevent infiltration of anti-social elements. Commissioner of Devipatan division, Shashi Lal Bhushan Sushil, instructed district magistrates to coordinate closely with police and SSB officials.
Bahraich’s Rupaidiha town in Uttar Pradesh, which usually bustles with Nepali shoppers, markets have fallen silent. “Normally, our markets thrive because Nepali buyers come here for daily needs. But now, the markets are silent. Families on both sides are interlinked by marriages, so the unrest has left people here worried,” Dr Uma Shankar Vaishya, chairman of the local nagar panchayat, said.
The temporary social media ban in Nepal, locals say, had even cut off communication with relatives across the border. The restoration of WhatsApp and Facebook brought some relief, but anxiety persists.
Amid the unfolding crisis in Nepal, residents in the border districts in UP are also grappling with cancelled travel plans and severed family contacts across the frontier, and many are expressing concern over the disruption of their daily lives.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has asked Indian nationals to defer travel to the Himalayan nation until the situation stabilises. Those already in Nepal have been urged to remain indoors, avoid venturing out on the streets, and follow safety guidelines issued by local authorities and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
The unrest has cast a shadow over India’s Durga Puja holiday season, particularly in West Bengal, where Nepal is a popular tourist destination. Travel operators reported mass cancellations within hours of violence breaking out.
“Over a hundred bookings were cancelled as soon as news of the unrest spread,” said Samrat Sanyal, General Secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN). He added that cross-border traders, too, face mounting financial losses.
At border checkposts, drivers waiting for passengers have been left stranded after the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) issued a high alert, halting all vehicle crossings. Some locals have even expressed intent to join the protests, with one resident declaring, “The Gorkhas are not afraid.”
For many holidaymakers, the situation has thrown plans into disarray. A banker from Kolkata, for instance, said he had already booked air tickets and hotels for his family but was now considering cancelling the trip. “The prevailing situation is not safe for my family. I don’t know whether I will get my refund. My travel agent hasn’t responded,” he said.
Industry voices warn of deep losses during what is usually a peak travel period. Anil Punjabi, a member of the National Committee of the Travel Agents Federation of India, called the developments “disastrous for the tourism industry,” noting that tourism is “the first to be hit and the last to cure.”
He said Bengal typically sends 12,000 to 15,000 tourists to Nepal every Puja season, each spending around Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000, but this year most are now seeking refunds or planning to change destinations. The mood across the travel sector remains bleak, with operators ruling out recovery during the festive season.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has voiced concern over the turmoil in Nepal and its impact on border districts, while stating that the Centre has yet to reach out to her government. She urged residents to maintain peace along the border as uncertainty lingers over the neighbouring country.
A police post has been set up at the India-Nepal border at Panitanki town in West Bengal’s Darjeeling. “As the situation on the border is concerned, it is absolutely peaceful at the International border and on the Indian side of the border. However, some violent incidents have been reported from the other side of the border (in Nepal) since morning. We are alert and have increased our deployment in the area. An additional deployment was made from the Police headquarters.
“We have geared up our intelligence machinery in view of the situation. We will be working in close coordination with SSB. SSB has also increased their foot on the ground in this area. The Immigration & Customs Office across the border has been attacked. Movement of people across the border has been stopped,” DG & IG of North Bengal Police, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, said after assessing the situation at the Panitanki Indo-Nepal border.
The UP Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna ordered round-the-clock surveillance, intensified patrolling, and deployment of additional police personnel in Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj districts bordering with Nepal. A special control room has been set up at the Police Headquarters in Lucknow to assist Indian nationals stranded in Nepal. “The UP Police is fully committed to maintaining law and order in the state and providing all possible assistance to Indian citizens stranded in Nepal,” said ADG (Law & Order) Amitabh Yash.
Meanwhile, the Indian government issued an advisory to Indians in Nepal, urging them to stay indoors and not move around. Several Indian airlines have also stopped flights to and from Kathmandu even though the Tribhuvan International Airport in the Nepalese capital resumed skeleton operations on Wednesday. Airlines including Air India, SpiceJet, and IndiGo cancelled flights to Kathmandu after protesters attempted to storm the airport on Tuesday.