Civil Society of #Nepal Urges international Community for Effective Steps to End Indian #Blockade
New Delhi. The civil society members of Nepal said that India’s ongoing blockade goes against the principles of Panchsheel, the spirit of regional cooperation under SAARC and BIMSTEC, the internationally recognised rights of land-locked countries, as well as India’s obligations under the bilateral transit treaty of 1991.
The civil society members of Nepal have appealed to the concerned parties of Nepal, and to the international community including India to recognise this crisis and take effective steps to bring it to an immediate end.
inseconline.org has published a report, which is as follows-
Kathmandu/October 30
Members of civil society have appealed to the concerned parties of Nepal, and to the international community including India to recognise this crisis and take effective steps to bring it to an immediate end.
Expressing deep concerns over the grave humanitarian crisis in Nepal that resulted from the de facto economic blockade of the past two months by India, 12 noted civil society members issued a statement on October 30. Those issuing the statement are Nilamber Acharya, Megh Ale, Kanak Mani Dixit, Kul Chandra Gautam, Chandni Joshi, Dr. Arjun Karki, Anuradha Koirala, Dr. Bhagwan Koirala, Kedar Bhakta Mathema, Sushil Pyakurel, Kapil Shrestha and Dinesh Tripathi.
The civil society members said that the extended blockade by India following the devastating earthquake on April as well as disruptions caused by political unrest in the Tarai-Madhes plains has crippled the economy of Nepal and led to great human suffering. Vital social services have been disrupted, hospitals have run out of essential drugs and supplies, and UNICEF estimates that more than 1.6 million children have been deprived of schooling over the past two months, they added.
They expressed concern over the disruption in industries, development activities, tourism caused by the Indian blockade. "Employment prospects have diminished nationally, forcing hundreds of thousands more to consider job migration to India, the Gulf and Malaysia."
The statement noted that the fuel crisis caused by the blockade has cut the food supply chain, causing shortages in all parts of the country and disrupting transportation at the height of Nepal’s national holiday season, preventing millions from travelling to ancestral homes.
They denounced the Indian blockade and disagreed with the claim that the obstruction at the border is solely the result of agitation within Nepal citing examples of the go-slow at custom checkpoints, the refusal by the Indian Oil Corporation as monopoly supplier to load fuel tankers from Nepal, and reports in the Indian press quoting border security Seema Shuraksha Bal officers that they have been asked to impede shipments.
"We are pained that India, a country that extended such immediate and unstinting support after the April 2015 earthquake, has seen fit to carry out a blockade that has halted the urgent reconstruction efforts that will make people even more vulnerable during the imminent winter season. If the earthquake hurt the Nepali economy to the tune of USD 7 billion, it is estimated that the cumulative loss from the blockade thus far significantly exceeds that amount," the statement read.
The civil society members demanded certain amendments to bring the new constitution fully in line with pluralistic democratic norms and values, expressing belief that the complex matter of provincial demarcation in a country of many communities with cross-cutting demands must be resolved peacefully through political negotiation and democratic constitutional process. "Meanwhile, we stand for an effective probe into violent incidents of the past two months with the goal of bringing those responsible to justice," they said.
They stressed that Nepal is fully capable of dealing with its internal challenges, including addressing anxieties of its Madhesi, Tharu and other communities through consultation, negotiation and constitutional amendment, the statement said.
The civil society members said that India’s ongoing blockade goes against the principles of Panchsheel, the spirit of regional cooperation under SAARC and BIMSTEC, the internationally recognised rights of land-locked countries, as well as India’s obligations under the bilateral transit treaty of 1991. "The blockade contravenes the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which both India and Nepal are signatory. New Delhi’s actions amount to unilateral coercive measures with serious negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights covered under various UN resolutions," they said
Stating that India’s action of blockading Nepal cannot be justified under any pretext, they demanded the immediate lifting of the blockade against Nepal and restoration of good neighbourly relations.
News source http://inseconline.org/index.php?type=news&lang=en&id=17044

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