Right after the promulgation of Nepal’s Constitution 2072, dissatisfied Madhes-based political parties made an

unofficial alliance with India and resorted to intensified agitation. In the same vain, as the latter unofficially imposed a blockade on the Indo-Nepal border points for the past one and half months, normal life in already quake-hit Nepal has been adversely affected. Every sector has been reeling under supply crunch due to the shortage of essential

commodities. The imposition of any trade embargo against a land-locked country like Nepal is against international conventions including the land-locked country’s transit right to an access to sea. DPM and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa has successfully drawn the world’s attention towards India’s unofficial blockade in the name of Madhesi parties’ agitation.

However, India issued a controversial remark claiming that there is no such blockade but accepted the decreasing flow of commercial cargo vehicles citing the safety concerns due to the political unrest at the border points. On the other hand, various Indian media reports show that Indian historians and critics of foreign affairs have already started criticizing the Modi-led government for jeopardizing the centuries-old friendly relation with Nepal by deliberately an imposing economic blockade.

Som Nath Ghimire, Kawasoti

Fuel racketeers

Apropos of the news story “House panel asks NOC to furnish details of Birat Petroleum deal” (THT, Nov. 8, Page 10), people are beginning to smell a rat behind fuel shortage. According to Kathmandu grapevine, this shortage has turned many a pauper into instant millionaires. This could be true as most drivers and riders who literally live in queues for 72 hours at a stretch work, no doubt, for racketeers who sell fuel in the black for up to reportedly Rs 500 a litre. The conditions of the cars and bikes lined up on the serpentine queues clearly suggest that these have been stowed straight from the garage to fill in fuel for purpose other than legitimate use. NOC approval of private petroleum deal at double the price also leaves enough room for suspicion. What is the point in getting fuel at double the prices? How can we hold our “swabhiman” by paying twice the amount? No oil is much better than having it at inflated prices. I did not believe the grapevine first, but now I am convinced that the unofficial blockade might be a blessing in disguise for many a new hit man to turn into business men just as the previous insurgency catapulted many into the top echelon of various businesses in the new Republican set up.

If we really want to uphold our “swabhiman” let us disband fuel queues and stop importing fuel through private players at double the price. These queues and deals make a mockery of our tall claim of “swabhiman’. Let us start walking and cycling like our grandfathers did all around the Valley and across the nation.

J. Talchabhadell, Bhaktapur