Madhubani/Patna: Markets shuttered, police posts abandoned and railway stations locked — the unrest sparked by Nepal’s Gen-Z movement has spread panic through border districts, leaving once-bustling towns in eerie silence.
In Inarwa, Dhanusha district, just across the border from India, the usually crowded railway station lay deserted on Wednesday. Not a single passenger, villager or security official could be seen. Even the police post of Nepal Prahari, once a round-the-clock presence, had been vacated. The Armed Police Force too had disappeared, leaving the station and adjoining offices to the mercy of the situation.
“People are too afraid to step outside. Even the villagers stay shut indoors,” said local resident Lalbabu Yadav, who was spotted sweeping the outer floor of the station while grazing his buffaloes. “We don’t know what will happen next.”
The situation was no different at the Sirha customs office or the army police post in Inarwa, both of which stood empty. Government employees had locked up their offices and fled. Residents described deserted streets, shuttered markets and an atmosphere of fear, despite the protests being less intense in the Terai compared with Kathmandu and other urban centres.
The usually porous movement between Indian and Nepali villagers has also ground to a halt, with citizens on both sides taking precautions as violence and clashes escalate in Nepal.
