Cadres of the agitating Madhesi political parties have burnt down public vehicles, fuel, fertiliser and other essential commodities in several parts of the Tarai on Sunday.
In what appears as a strategy to choke people already hit hard by an acute fuel crisis, Madhesi protesters stopped public vehicles, took fuel out of them and burnt it down. In Saptari, even an ambulance was robbed of fuel by Madhesi protesters.
Madhesi protesters burnt down fertiliser, fruits and vegetables apart from fuel in Mahottari, Siraha, Rautahat and Parsa districts as well.
Madhesi Front, an alliance of four different Madhes-based parties, has been on the warpath for over the last two months. They have demanded amendments to the recently-promulgated constitution which they think fails to ensure their proportional representation in all state organs.
Although the government has initiated the process to amend the constitution to address some of the front's demands, protests have not ended. After Dasain festival, Madhesi parties seem to have intensified their protests.
In Kathmandu, talks between representatives of the government and Madhesi parties are underway. The new constitution will be amended when both sides reach a deal.
Madhesi parties have also continued blocking border points, giving India an excuse to impose an economic blockade against Nepal. Last week Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa had requested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ease supply across the border, but fuel crisis continues unabated.
As India shows no sign of lifting the blockade, Nepali authorities are now preparing to import fuel from China. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said that China has agreed to provide 1.3 million litres of subsidised fuel through Kerung. The first cache of subsidised fuel is expected to ease fuel crisis in Nepal for a few weeks.
NOC officials are also negotiating a deal to commercially import fuel from China.