Students ring capital in fuel crisis protest

KATHMANDU: Hundreds of students in Nepal formed a human chain yesterday to protest against a shortage of fuel in the country since imports from India were blocked two months ago.

Students lined up at various points along the 27km ring road around the capital.

“This is a national problem and we wish to draw the attention of the concerned people through this protest,” Emla Pradhan, a teacher at the Kathmandu Valley School who was participating in the rally, said.

“It’s very discouraging for students to be unable to go to school because there is no fuel. This human chain is our appeal against the blockade,” said Suyashaa Vaidhya, a tenth grader.

Schools were closed for a month across April and May after earthquakes hit the country. They have been closed again since September when anti-constitution strikes began in the southern Terai area.

The protests led to a fuel crisis which has forced schools to close, affecting 1.6 million schoolchildren.

“We are seriously concerned that the future of millions of children in Nepal is being put in jeopardy with the current situation in the country,” Unicef said in a statement last week.

“Children, particularly in the southern Terai plains and the mountain districts in central and central-eastern parts of the country that were hardest hit by the earthquakes earlier this year, have been highly affected by the current situation.”

Nepal has been crippled by protests in the southern region against a new constitution since August and India’s decision to close the border on security grounds in late September.

The embargo has caused severe shortages in Nepal, which is heavily dependent on imports from India.

People have been smuggling fuel and other supplies across the border in small amounts.