Nepali Migrant Workers Coming From India During Lockdown Stranded at No-man’s Land

Kashiram Sharma

9 May, Banke : Twenty one Nepali migrant workers clandestinely came to Narainapur from various places of India last week despite the government’s directives not to allow any person to enter Nepal from India.

These people had come from Maharashtra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Delhi and Punjab of India after the announcement of the lockdown by both countries to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
It is said the Indian police helped these people enter Nepal through the Suinya transit point at Naraianapur rural municipality-1 after the quarantine at Bhinga of District Srawasti, India refused to keep them.

The Narainapur rural municipality kept them at the quarantine set up at the Adarsha Secondary School Laxmanpur as soon as information that the 21 Nepali workers have entered Nepal, Rural municipality Chair Ishtiyaq Ahamad Shah said.

But the Armed Police Force took them from the quarantine to the no-man’s land and kept them there, Shah said. The police has been stopping the Nepali workers coming from different places of India and trying to sneak into Nepal at the no-man’s land on the Nepal-India border and keeping them there.

In-charge at the APF Gangapur, Birendra Bahadur GC, said although the families of these workers have requested them to allow the Nepali migrant workers stranded at the no-man’s land to enter Nepal and keep them in quarantine, the police could not do that as they have received strict orders not to allow anyone.

“The 21 people could not be kept in quarantine within Nepal as it was found they had sneaked into Nepal in violation of the orders. So they were returned to the no-man’s land area,” GC explained the reason behind not allowing the 21 workers to be kept in quarantine at Narainapur.

It is said many more Nepali migrant workers are stranded at the border as they are not allowed to enter Nepal. Nepali Congress Banke constituency-1 leader Ram Chandra Maurya said these workers are facing hardships including food and accommodation as India does not allow them to stay on its side of the border while they are also not allowed to enter Nepal.

So, these workers are compelled to camp out at the no-man’s land enduring much hardship. Maurya said the government should allow the Nepali citizens stuck at the no-man’s land to enter into their country out of humanitarian consideration. He added that the government should take their responsibility as they are Nepali citizens.

Meanwhile, the State-5 government has already issued circular to the local levels to set up additional quarantines targeting the India-returnee workers. This circular of the State government is in contradiction to the central government’s notice not to allow anyone to enter the country, according to Shah.

He said they are ready to manage additional quarantine for the India-returnees but the police have been stopping them from entering the country. It is said more than 100 Nepali migrant workers are stranded at the border.