Nepal lifts curfew, but border curbs remain

Motihari: Although the Nepal govt on Saturday lifted the nationwide curfew and prohibitory orders enforced last Monday after violent protests led by Gen Z, vehicle movement from Raxaul town to Birgunj or other areas of Nepal remains completely banned by the Birgunj administration. Only pedestrians were allowed to cross the Maitri bridge on foot. The Army has been deployed at the entrance gate of Birgunj to maintain order. The specific reasons are known to the Birgunj administration.Around 50 buses, private or public, have been stranded at Raxaul since last Monday with crews awaiting permission from the Nepal govt. More than 1,000 taxis, which operate daily between Raxaul and Kathmandu to carry tourists and pilgrims, are also parked nearby.Private buses have resumed inter-district services in the Tarai region following the daytime lifting of prohibitory orders. Restrictions in the Tarai and valley areas have been removed, and the situation is gradually returning to normal. Markets in Birgunj, Jitpur, Gaur, Janakpur and adjoining Bihar border areas reopened on Saturday after six days.On Saturday, around 200 pilgrims from Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu returned safely from Kathmandu after being stranded since Monday. The Indian embassy in Nepal facilitated their return to Raxaul. Similarly, 250 students from Bharatpur College of Medical Science returned safely to Raxaul on Friday under police protection after being stranded in hostels due to unrest in Bharatpur. These students hail from Bihar, Jharkhand, Hyderabad and Delhi.According to SSB sources, six escaped undertrial prisoners from Nepal were arrested by SSB personnel while attempting to enter East Champaran district in Bihar. Sanjay Pandey, commandant of the 47th battalion of SSB, said they would be handed over to Nepal police. Bihar has placed all bordering districts on high alert following the unrest. SSB and police in East Champaran have tightened security along the porous Bihar–Nepal border and are patrolling day and night.Police suspect that the jail escapees dispersed in multiple directions toward Bihar. Some veteran smugglers, kidnappers and arms dealers have fled Nepalese jails and may seek shelter in Bihar or Jharkhand. Intelligence agencies are working round the clock to track them.