Scores of Keralites stranded in Nepal

Scores of tourists from Kerala are stranded in the violence-hit Nepal as airlines have started cancelling flights along with road blockades in the Himalayan country due to the ongoing anti-government protests in Nepal for the second day. A 40-member team of tourists from north Kerala has been stranded in Nepal amid the ongoing ‘Gen Z’ protests against the social media ban and alleged government corruption.

The group includes travellers from Malappuram and Kozhikode districts stranded on the road at Gosala since Monday. The group, including senior citizens above the age of 65, is trying to return to Kerala with the help of a Kozhikode-based travel agency. Speaking to The Hindu, Ajith Kolassery, Chief Executive Officer of NoRKA-Roots, the field agency of the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA) in Kerala, said, “The agency was monitoring the situation, although no panic calls were received by the agency from Nepal until Tuesday. We were also in tough with the Kerala House in New Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA),” he said.

The Indian government on Tuesday advised its citizens to avoid travelling to the Himalayan nation until the situation eased there, as violent anti-government protests continued in Nepal for the second day. New Delhi also issued helpline numbers to assist those who are stranded in Nepal. According to the advisory, Indian citizens are advised to defer travel there until the situation has stabilised. Indian citizens presently in Nepal are also advised to shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out onto the streets and exercise all due caution.

They are also advised to follow local safety advisories from the Nepal authorities as well as the Embassy of India in Kathmandu. In case any assistance was required, people were asked to call the Embassy of India, Kathmandu. The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu has been completely shut down following the violence across Kathmandu. Indian aviation carriers that cancelled flights to Kathmandu include Air India and SpiceJet in view of the closure of the city’s airport amid anti-government protests.

Nepal has been seeing a wave of Gen-Z-led protests in response to the social media ban and the government’s act, which is perceived as authoritarian and corrupt by many. Although the social media blackout was later lifted, protests continued in parts of the Himalayan country, with demonstrators defying curfews and engaging in acts of civil disobedience.

Union Minister George Kurian said he had been in constant tough with the stranded Malayalis in Kathmandu and has asked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take necessary steps to ensure their safety. Efforts are being made to bring them back home as soon as possible and those who left Kerala are completely safe, he said.