Nepal unrest spills to border: Indian trade routes hit; UP, Bengal, Bihar, Uttarakhand on high alert

SILIGURI/LUCKNOW/MOTIHARI: Violent anti-govt protests in Nepal set off a scramble in India Tuesday to insulate its eastern and northern boundaries from the spiralling storm, with trade routes already blocked and long queues of stranded goods vehicles forming along border towns from north Bengal and Bihar to Uttar Pradesh.The Kakarvitta-Panitanki crossing, 34 km from Bengal's Siliguri, felt the heat of the unrest as protesters torched tyres, blocked roads and set fire to a customs office. About 500 trucks cross over to Nepal from the gate each day, carrying goods ranging from staples to construction materials. As the youth-led agitation escalated, 200-odd cargo-laden vehicles lined up on this side of the border for what transporters fear could be a long wait for the crisis to dissipate.

Many Nepal nationals entered India seeking supplies, mostly food, after shops on either side of the border gates were forced to close. Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urged residents in districts bordering Nepal to "stay away from trouble and maintain peace", mentioning that the Union govt hadn't ordered border closures yet. "If Nepal stays well, India stays well, too," she said, stressing that the violence in Kathmandu and other parts of that country was "an internal matter".

Similar disruptions affected the India-Nepal border at Raxaul where about 50 tourists cancelled plans to cross over. The bustling gateway fell quiet as a curfew-like atmosphere descended on adjacent Birgunj.East Champaran SP Swarn Prabhat said preventive measures were taken to maintain peace, with SSB personnel instructed to "discourage" tourist entry due to "curfew conditions". UP ramped up security across seven border districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj. DGP Rajeev Krishna said the strategy entailed round-the-clock patrolling and strict entry-point checks, with 73 checkpoints placed on heightened alert. In Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh, which shares a porous border with Nepal, many locals worried about their kin on the other side.(With inputs from CB Pandey)