Binod Singh Bishta

Baitadi, March 27 : Two hundred Nepalis returning back to their home from various places in India have been stranded at Jhulaghat of India. They have been stuck at this border town of India adjoining Baitadi for the last three days following the lockdown enforced in Nepal and India in view of the coronavirus pandemic.    
Gajendra Bhatta of Gurukhola, Dasharathchand Municipality-1 in Baitadi district said they have been stranded at Jhulaghat since three days. He lamented that the Indian police chased them and beat them whenever they see them due to the lockdown.    
"The Indian police beat us and drive us away whenever they see us around. We are hiding at a corner of a hotel here," said Ramesh Bhatta, another resident of Dasharathchand Municipality-1, who is among the group of Nepalis stranded in Jhulaghat.    
Ramesh said some of the stranded Nepalis are hiding in the jungle close to the bank of the Mahakali River for fear of the Indian police. "We have been sleeping in the open without food for three days as the hotels here are also closed due to the lockdown," he expressed desperation.    
He also expressed worry that they might fall sick as they have to spend night under the open sky and without food and anger at the District Administration of Baitadi and the people's representatives of not making any initiatives to repatriate them to their homes in such dire situation.    
Chief District Officer of Baitadi, Ananda Poudel, however, said initiatives have been made to rescue the Nepalis stranded at Jhulaghat. He said the District Magistrate of Pithoragadh District, India has been urged since the last two days to open the border transit.    
He said both countries have to agree to open the border to allow the movement of the stranded people as both countries have enforced a lockdown and the efforts by a single country would not be sufficient to open the border transit point.    
Meanwhile, some stranded people are found crossing the border to Nepal in precarious way through the Mahakali river using tire tubes. Sixty four stranded Nepalis have been rescued, it is said.