KATHMANDU: India on Monday welcomed the Government of Nepal's decision to advance the Constitution Amendment Bill in order to ensure proportional inclusion and election constituencies on the basis of population, and resolve the current crisis in Tarai-Madhes region.

Issuing a statement today a day after the Cabinet endorsed a three-point roadmap to address the demands put forth by the agitating Madhesi parties, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, "Government of India welcomes these developments as positive steps that help create the basis for a resolution of the current impasse in Nepal."

The MEA further urged the Nepali stakeholders to "now demonstrate the necessary maturity and flexibility to find a satisfactory solution to the Constitutional issues through constructive dialogue in an agreed timeframe."

"We are confident that a return to normalcy in Nepal would create a more secure and predictable climate for unimpeded commerce between our two countries."

The Madhes-based parties have been agitating for over three months, before the promulgation of new constitution, demanding more rights and review in the proposed provincial boundaries.  After the constitution was delivered on September 20, they resorted to obstructing the Nepal-India border in order to exert pressure on the government to meet their demands.

Over 50 people have been killed in the violent protests in the Tarai-Madhes region.

Nepal is currently reeling under acute shortage of essential supplies including fuel and medicines due to the border blockade, which the major parties including the ones in government say was unofficially imposed by the India side on Nepal. Thousands of cargo vehicles have been left stranded on the Indian side bordering Nepal due to the obstruction at border.

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Govt endorses three-point roadmap

Indian MEA's Statement on Nepal

December 21, 2015

• 1. External Affairs Minister was informed by Nepal’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa today that the Nepalese Cabinet has taken some important decisions to address and resolve demands regarding the Constitution raised by agitating Madhes-based parties.

• 2. These decisions include amendments to the Constitution on participation in the state

  organs on the basis of proportionate inclusiveness and delineation of electoral

  constituencies on the basis of population. The demarcation of provinces is also to be

  addressed through an appropriate arrangement in the Constitution on the basis of

  political consensus. Similarly, others demands including citizenship are to be resolved

  through negotiations and consensus.

• 3. Government of India welcomes these developments as positive steps that help create the basis for a resolution of the current impasse in Nepal. As a neighbour and well-wisher, India was deeply concerned at the unrest stemming from internal differences in Nepal on

  the Constitution. We urge all Nepali political forces to now demonstrate the necessary

  maturity and flexibility to find a satisfactory solution to the Constitutional issues

  through constructive dialogue in an agreed timeframe.

• 4.We are confident that a return to normalcy in Nepal would create a more secure and

  predictable climate for unimpeded commerce between our two countries.

New Delhi,

December 21, 2015