Upset over the killing of a 19-year-old Indian during firing by Nepal police at Birganj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took up the matter strongly with his Nepalese counterpart KP Oli. During a telephonic conversation, the Prime Minister urged him to launch an investigation into the death. Besides, Ministry of External Affair’s Joint Secretary (North) Abhay Thakur summoned Nepal Ambassador to India Deep Upadhyaya, to his office and conveyed the PM’s message while lodging India’s anguish over the killing and concern over the situation on the border.
Expressing ‘deep concerns’ over the fragile law and order situation on the India-Nepal border, India has also urged the Nepal Government to work out a long-time solution with the Madhesis and defuse the crisis as soon as possible. India has been pursuing Nepal to engage the dissenting parties in talks instead of using force on them.
‘’We are deeply concerned about reports coming in of firing today in Birgunj. An innocent Indian was also killed in the firing. Issues facing Nepal are political in nature and cannot be resolved by force. Causes underlying the present state of confrontation need to be addressed by the Government of Nepal credibly and effectively,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Monday.
While the Government said it is monitoring the situation carefully, it has also cautioned people travelling in the region and the freight operators about the prevailing violence in the area.
“Indian freight forwarders and transporters have voiced their worries again today about the deteriorating situation across the border. We are advising them to exercise caution and not put themselves in danger,” Swarup said.
An Indian youth was killed on Monday when Nepalese police opened fire on protesters near the India-Nepal border. Ashish Ram of Raxaul in Bihar was killed after he received a bullet shot in his head when police opened
fire on protesters at Shankaracharya Gate near Birgunj Customs, Home Ministry sources said.
The deceased, Ram, was identified after a phone call was made to his maternal uncle from his mobile phone.
Clashes erupted in different parts of Birgunj after Nepal police baton-charged Indian-origin Madhesi protesters in a pre-dawn swoop, burned down their tents and evicted them from the key Miteri bridge on the India-Nepal border, opening the main Birgunj-Raxaul border trading point for the first time in 40 days.
The Indian-origin Madhesi population of Nepal has been agitating over the country’s new Constitution saying it discriminates against them, denying them equal standing with other Nepalis. Talks between the Nepal Government and agitating Madhesi groups ended inconclusively on Sunday, but Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa said the dialogue was moving in a positive direction. Nepal Ambassador Upadhyaya said the peace dialogue between agitating parties and Nepal Government is going on.
The agitation has obstructed supply of essential commodities, including petrol, creating a crisis in Nepal. While Nepal has accused India of imposing “economic blockade”, India has maintained that the supply was obstructed due to protests on the Nepalese side and asked the Nepal Government to have political resolution of issues facing that country which should have broad-based ownership and acceptance of the Constitution by all section of the society, including those disaffected agitating forces.