Mahendra Ram, Ashish Kumar’s maternal grandfather, had to travel from Raxaul, 210km north of Patna – where he lived with the killed youth – to Birgunj, barely 5km away, in Nepal with police protection to collect his grandson’s body.
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Several protesters were injured by rubber bullets fired by the security forces, a police official said.
“Police beat up demonstrators this morning and burned down our tents, forcibly opening the border to allow trucks to move across”, said Shiva Patel, general secretary of the regional Sadbhawana party which took part in the blockade.
Protesters from the Madhesi community who live along the Nepal-India border had pitched tents at the crossing, which carries 80 percent of Nepal’s trade and goods.
Initially, the government insisted that the matter of the size of states be resolved through a government-appointed commission, but Thapa said it would be discussed as a political issue, as demanded by the protesters.
But, on the Indian side, thousands of trucks have not been able to cross over to Nepal for nearly two months. “The remaining fuel will be sent to Nepal within a week’s time”, it said.
Police earlier used batons to disperse protesters angered by Nepal’s new constitution who had blocked the bridge crossing in Birgunj since September 24, cutting off vital supplies and forcing fuel rationing in the landlocked Himalayan nation.
“We have received 73.5 metric tonnes of petrol from China in these two days”, NOC spokesperson Deepak Baral said.
Madhesi protesters say Nepal’s new constitution unfairly divides the Madhesis among a number of states, diluting their political power.
Nepal’s new constitution has evoked strong resentment from the southern Nepali Terai region where the Madhesi political parties as also indigenous groups have launched a violent protest alleging that their interests have been again ignored.
New Delhi has indirectly demanded that Kathmandu revise sections of Nepal’s new constitution, saying it has failed to “support a federal, democratic, republican, and inclusive” Nepal.
“On supply of fuel and other essentials, PM (Modi) assured that there is no obstacle from the Indian side”, the release said. This is the first time China has provided petroleum products to Nepal as it did not do so during border closure on account of the Transit Treaty lapsing in 1989.
It is said that Indian Prime Minister Modi requested Prime Minister Oli to provide details about the incident happened at Birgunj on Monday.
A few 170 freight trucks entered into India from Nepal after the border was opened, The Kathmandu Post reported.
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Beijing additionally agreed to donate 1.3 million litres of petrol to Nepal to attempt to ease shortages.
