Amid the civil unrest in Nepal, hundreds of tourists, including around 200 from Karnataka, remain stranded in the capital Kathmandu owing to the sudden cancellation of flights and are waiting to return to India, even as uncertainty looms.
“We were stranded in the airport for 10 hours and were later transferred to a hotel as the situation continued to escalate. We don’t know how to return to Bengaluru,” said Karnataka-based woman Rajani Maski. She is among 130 members of a team from the state that landed in Kathmandu on August 25 for a trip to Manasarovar. While their plan was to return to Bengaluru on Tuesday, the change in situation has left them worried.
At least 19 people have been killed as thousands of anti-corruption protesters took to the streets in the country over the government’s decision to block about two dozen social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook. Amid the raging agitation, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli stepped down from his post on Tuesday.
According to Karnataka government sources, over 200 people, many of whom are on package tours to Manasarovar, are stuck in Kathmandu. The office of state chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh has initiated discussions with agencies. Indian carriers IndiGo and Air India have suspended flights to and from Kathmandu in view of the airport closure and the prevailing security situation in the region.
‘All major hotels shut’
Maski, who works in the USA, had come down to Bengaluru and joined the Manasarovar trip. “We completed the trip and were staying at a hotel. While my flight was scheduled at 1 pm on Tuesday, the hotel authorities asked us to vacate early in the morning as they feared violence could harm the occupants. We reached Tribhuvan International Airport early in the morning and then came to know that no flights were operating,” Maski told The Indian Express.
“There was no way to leave the airport. By evening, we tried to step out, but there was no taxi or any vehicle. The airport authorities also warned us that the situation could escalate at the terminal. We managed to get a military vehicle and reached a hotel nearby. We tried calling the hotel where we stayed, but all major hotels in Kathmandu are closed,” she added.
The agitators also set fire to the residences of PM Oli in Balkot and President Ram Chandra Poudel. While the young agitators have opposed the recording of videos, Maski managed to get hold of a few clips which she shared with The Indian Express. The videos show tyres and plastic being burnt on deserted streets, while a large number of youths on two wheelers were seen on the roads near the airport even as it was guarded by the army.
‘Request government to arrange for our return’
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At 11 pm, when Maski spoke to The Indian Express, she said a lot of youths were roaming around on two-wheelers. “It is dangerous to step out of the place where I stay. We don’t know how long they will keep us here,” she said.
Maski said there are thousands of Indians scattered across Kathmandu who are spending the days in fear owing to the crisis. “We just request the government to arrange for our safe return. There is no internet facility and we do not know how it will unfold further. It is a scary situation in Kathmandu,” she added.
The Nepal government last week banned 26 social media sites, including the Meta-owned Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram as well as X and YouTube, for not complying with an earlier order. Critics, however, said the government was trying to muzzle criticism and curb press freedom.
The Nepal Army and senior security officials have issued joint appeals urging restraint and peaceful dialogue as the only way forward to restore stability.