There's No Gas in Kathmandu

In the weeks since Nepal implemented its new constitution on September 20, an abrupt blockade along the country's border with India has slowed oil and other imports to a trickle. The landlocked Himalayan country relies on its southern neighbor for the bulk of its food and material imports, making the strange trade impasse particularly damaging for the Nepalese people and their newly reconciled government.

The streets of Kathmandu have become increasingly devoid of automobiles as gas stations temporarily shut down. And while the cleaner air and absence of horns honking has left the city more peaceful, the blockade is beginning to cripple the country. Hospitals have been deprived of medical supplies, restaurants are without gas to cook food, and commuters are overcrowding the few buses on the streets, if they can hitch a ride at all.

It's not immediately clear why the blockade has been put in place, or who exactly is responsible. Some claim that India is trying to show Nepal that despite the new constitution, the landlocked nation is still largely subordinate to its big brother to the south. The Indian government, however, claims that it has not implemented any blockade on Nepal.

The slowdown of imports almost certainly has something to do with the protests among the Madhesi, an ethnic group in the south of Nepal, who claim they have been marginalized by the new constitution. Madhesi protesters have been staging sit-ins at checkpoints along the Nepal-India border and claim that the blockade will continue until their concerns are recognized by the Nepalese government.

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