The impact of the Indian blockade on Nepal’s economy has now far outstripped damage from the earthquake. Yet, there has been very little international media coverage of the crisis. Nepal is just not strategically important enough, there are no NATO troops here, we don’t have oil and the blockade is too complicated to explain to the world.
All the members of Nepali communities and representatives of associations and organizations, mass media, journalists and sympathizers, We are aware that for the past two months our motherland Nepal has been adversely affected by undeclared embargo by neighbor India. Landlocked countries cannot be embargoed by laws of any country. Against this reality Nepal has been adversely affected by Indian blockade. It is highly condemnable the way embargo has been imposed against international transit and trade treaty law. Even before the effect and the dust of the massive earthquake that created natural havoc has settled down, the Indian blockade has made life difficult for the common people in Nepal due to scarcity of petroleum products and cooking gas. Common people faced untold hardships because of the blockade during Nepali's important festivals Dashain and Tihar. Due to this prolonged blockade on the one hand there has been scarcity of essential food and sensitive medicine because of which there has been humanitarian crisis and on the other hand the economy of the country is being ruined rapidly. Nepal is a sovereign, independent, landlocked country and according to the international laws she is entitled to uninterrupted transit facility. We, Nepali-Americans demand that India should respect this and immediately lift the embargo. We also condemn blatant interference of Nepali's human rights, sovereignty and independence and transit rights. We appeal for your presence during the "Massive Rally and Protest Demonstration” being jointly organized by different Nepali associations and organizations in America's capital, Washington DC against the Indian undeclared embargo. Please bring your own Nepali Flag and were clothing of your choice that highlights your own unique Nepali identity.
