Landlocked Nepal is overwhelmingly reliant upon imports from India, including much of its food, consumer goods, and 100 percent of its fuel - aviation fuel, petrol, diesel and cooking gas. India, a regional powerbroker, has made no secret that it believes Nepal’s constitution should give greater powers to the ethnic Madhesi minority, who are culturally close to Indians and share linguistic and family ties.
India denies that there is a blockade, and there is some room for ambiguity. But the Indian Oil Corporation's refusal to service Nepali tankers, and the candid comments of officials on the border, make the situation clear enough. India's unofficial blockade of Nepal - now in its third week - has, therefore, crippled life in this country of 30 million people. Things could get a lot worse. Nepal protests continue as fuel rationing bites The crisis can be traced back to early August, when residents of Nepal's southern plains bordering India, who are known as Madhesis, began protesting provisions of the country's new constitution, which was then being rushed to completion in a "fast-track" process.
