KATHMANDU: While voices of protests against Indian encroachment have increased in recent times, folks of Darchula’s Chhangru and Tinkar villages are bound to traverse through India to reach the district headquarters Khalanga.
Reason: There are neither roads nor foot trails from Chhangru to Khalanga – from one village in Nepal to its district headquarters.
This is a regular affair, as Darchula residents claim they are bound to touch the Indian territory to reach the district headquarters Khalanga every year.
The residents of the Chhangru and Tinkar areas usually come to Khalanga during winter season and return to their villages in the spring season.
According to Ashok Singh Bohara, chairperson of the Chhangru Ward No 1, approximately 500 people, stranded in Khalanga due to the lockdown, are waiting to go back to their villages.
Now that as the borders are sealed, the locals of Darchula, particularly from Chhangru and Tinkar are not able to go back to their villages as they cannot cross the border.
“We have no other way than to wait for the borders to be reopened as there is no road that connects the remote villages with district headquarters,” he said adding that it is unfortunate that the locals of the villages are compelled to depend on India for essentials and transportation.
Locals of these villages go to India to buy essentials, such as salt, rice, and oil among others as they get these items in a much cheaper rate across the border.
Moreover, locals complain that the Nepal government has failed to provide necessities to its citizens while the Indian authorities provide necessary items to the people of that area.
According to locals, Indian security forces in the area extend help when necessary to the local population, dropping foodstuff by helicopters and airlifting patients in need of medical attention.
It is, therefore, imperative for the Government of Nepal to take care of the citizens of the districts, they say.
In fact, earlier there used to be a trail that connected Chhangru and Dumling of the district which, however, has been closed at the time of the decade-long insurgency.
Nepal and India are currently engaged in border dispute, particularly Lipu Lekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.
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