India-Nepal Border On Alert, Army Deployed At Embassy In Kathmandu

India has tightened security along its border with Nepal amid violent, youth-led protests against a social media ban and corruption in the neighbouring Himalayan country, where Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned under public pressure. Teams of state police have joined the border guarding force, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), to prevent any spillover of unrest into Indian territory. 

"An alert has been issued on the India-Nepal border, considering the unrest in Nepal. Sashastra Seema Bal is keeping a close watch on the development," an official told news agency ANI. 

India-Nepal Border

India and Nepal share a 1,751 km border spanning across states including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim and West Bengal, allowing largely unrestricted movement of citizens and goods between both nations-- a practice formalised by the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

But amid high alert, the movement along the border has been restricted. At the Gauriphanta border of Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, NDTV found out that security forces are not allowing Nepali citizens to enter India, but Indian citizens in the neighbouring nations are allowed to come home. Similarly, Nepal is also not allowing Indian citizens to enter Nepal, but Nepali citizens working or travelling in India are allowed to return. 

Visuals from the border town of Panitanki in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal showed that goods trucks were stranded as trade was partially halted amid the tensions. 

Area superintendent of police (SP) Praveen Parkash said, "A police post has been set up here with deployment of force. We are on alert mode and monitoring the situation."

Similar alerts were also in place in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Bihar, among other regions of India that border Nepal.

India Cautions Citizens In Nepal

Meanwhile, the Army has also been deployed at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu-- the epicentre of mob violence.

On Tuesday, the foreign ministry urged Indian nationals to exercise caution and defer non-essential travel to Nepal, as it condoled the lives lost in the mob violence. 

"As a close friend and neighbour, we hope that all concerned will exercise restraint and address any issues through peaceful means and dialogue. We have also taken note that authorities have imposed curfew in Kathmandu and several other cities of Nepal. Indian nationals in Nepal are advised to exercise caution and adhere to the steps and guidelines issued by the Nepali authorities," the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, air travel between the two nations has also been suspended as most airports in Nepal remain closed.

Situation In Nepal

Nepali youth, digitally savvy but bowed down by unemployment and limited opportunities, hit a breaking point this week as dissatisfaction grew due to political instability, corruption, and slow economic development in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people. 

That escalated into street anger on Monday, triggered by a government ban on social media -- later overturned -- with at least 19 people killed as police sought to crush protests. Three policemen also died in the protest.

The resignation of 73-year-old Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli failed to quell the anger of protesters, who set fire to parliament and a string of other government and political party buildings.

On Wednesday, the Nepal Army imposed nationwide restrictive orders followed by a curfew to quell possible violence under the guise of protest. The country's capital, Kathmandu, and other major cities wore a deserted look as army troops fanned out across the country.

The measures were necessitated to curb possible incidents of looting, arson, and other destructive activities "under the guise of agitation", the army said.