Madhesis set afire truck for supplying potatoes to Nepal

GORAKHPUR: Upset over delivery of potatoes to Bhairawa mandi of Nepal, Madhesis (Nepalis of Indian origin) on Sunday set afire a truck from Kanpur that was returning through Sonauli border after supplying the veggie to the Himalyan nation from India, sending strong signal that any sort of help to Nepal will not be tolerated by Madhesis who had launched a movement against the government of Nepal for curtailing their rights in newly adopted constitution.

Besides setting the truck afire, Madhesi also damaged some Nepali vehicles crossing the area. However, the newly formed youth wing (Yuva Dasta) also joined Madhesi in the violence.

The violence stopped other Indian trucks to cross the border forming a queue of the vehicles at Sonauli border. However, an assurance to provide security to truckers by the Nepal government did not work as truckers from India are taking Madhesis’ warning very seriously.

Stopping the food supply to Nepal from India became a key strategy of the Madhesis movement to protest against the new constitution that provides limited representation to Madhesis in government, bureaucracy and army.

“Despite repeated request not to deliver edible commodities in Nepal, Indian truck owners are not listening to us. Supply of food items from India is weakening our movement. We want to collapse the supply to Nepal so we have decided to take strong action against such truckers,” said Mahendra Yadav, president of the Madhesis Morcha.