‘Madhesis’, a group which is Nepalese of Indian origin have been feeling slighted at not getting a fair deal in Nepal’s new constitution, and have been agitating for quite some time.
As a mark of protest, they have blockaded the borders between the two nations, making it nearly impossible to send essential supplies to the landlocked nation from India.
Traditionally, Nepal is dependent on India for its petroleum products, as well as all containerised cargo, which comes in by seaport through Kolkata, and other Indian ports. However, the blockade has affected all this.
In a act of desperation, Nepal has now turned to China, India’s rival in the region, to meet its petroleum products requirements, a move which has not gone down well with India, which sees it’s power in the region slipping away.
In a desperate act, India has offered to airlift Air Turbine Fuel to Nepal. However, the question is: Is this too little and too late?
