Nepalis feel unsafe in border area in Dang

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By Diwakar Pokhrel, Deukhuri, Aug. 8: Nepalis living near Dashgaja, the ‘No Man’s Land’ at the border of Nepal and India, are living a difficult life. On the north side of Dashgaja, there are small thatched houses. 

The Nepalis living in those houses prefer to identify themselves as border residents and their place as border. 

Most of the Nepalis living in the border area rely on the neighbouring territories of India. 

There is no reliable road to travel to Nepal. The existing roads operate for just six months a year and remain closed for half a year. Due to difficult geographical terrain, no other basic services are available. 

The Indian market is the only place where they can buy food for their daily consumption. They even have to use Indian route to reach the nearest Nepali market. 

Everyone living in Rajpur Rural Municipality located in the border area of Dang is facing these ordeals. 

It is also not that easy to bring food and other goods from the Indian market. Nepalis had to undergo through several physical assaults and insults from the Indian security men while bringing foods and goods using the forest route.  

Puna BK, a resident of Bhaisahi border, Rajpur Rural Municipality Ward No. 7, said that the citizens living in the border area are totally insecure. "When going to buy goods for daily use, the Indian security personnel harass us in the name of checking our goods while we have felt insecurity even from the Indian citizens," he said. 

Recently two Nepali women were raped and four others looted when they were returning home from the Indian market, he added.

It is not that the local government has not taken any initiative for the security of the people living in the border area. Rajpur Rural Municipality chairman Sharad Budhathoki said that the problem would not be completely solved until the compulsion to go across the border to buy goods is stopped and an easily accessible market is managed within Nepali territory. 

There are camps of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force to provide security in the border area. 

Superintendent of Police of the Armed Police Force Binod KC of No. 29 Battalion said that he was also serious about Nepalis who are feeling insecure in the border area of Dang. 

He said that the APF has recently increased the security surveillance. “We have informally requested the Indian security personnel to patrol the forest areas,” he said. 

For border security, the APF has set up five Border Out Posts (BOPs) and eight Forward Bases (FOBs).

The border area in Dang is 83-km long from east to west. 

 
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