Is it safe for Indians to travel to Nepal after the recent political crisis and the blockade due to the Madhesi protests. I want to cross the border in a car from Bihar so that I can visit a lot of places easily without having to rely on external transportation.
Two month blockade has been called off but protests are still going on. I wont be surprised if they block the border again and in such a scenario you would be stuck on the other side of the border which is not an ideal situation to be in. I would say wait another couple of months before planning your trip and weather would be better too.
I wouldn't take the chance of being stuck in Nepal without a way to cross the border, unless you have a lot of time for your holiday. If protests are still ongoing is there a chance it could turn ugly at any time?
I believe the government of Nepal is not going to resolve the problem with their constitution that neglects the interests of minorities. Blockade was removed after government assured that every minority's interest would be looked into and necessary changes would be made in the new constitution but to me it looks highly unlikely and this assurance was just a way to get the borders opened so oil and other supplies from India starts flowing. Nepal accuses India for the whole situation but the blockade was done by its own people who find the new constitution ignoring their mere existence and they didn't have any representation either so that's what happens when a lot of people get "very" angry, they come out on the roads. Nepal's problems are not over yet. I wont even think of going there in my own car for at least six months at the very least. If someone wants to take a flight it should be alright but be prepared to pay extortionate prices for simple stuff in case another blockade happens while you are there.
That is enough to keep me from going there. The people of Nepal are obviously making a stand and that should be enough to warn people against trying to get past them. Obviously from what you said they are not happy but isn't it the people who lose out on the tourism business by blocking people from coming in?
Things are getting back to normal if newspaper reports are to be believed. These are temporary issues that get resolved and then travel and tourism related activities resume. Being a tourist driven economy Nepal cannot afford to have issues like this.
The roadblocks have been lifted and the situation is fast returning to normalcy. But I'd wait for a couple of months more before undertaking a journey to the country, because jusdjing from the state the country is in, new problems can erupt at any moment. Because all that has normalised is the Indo-Nepal relations, notnecessarily the situation inside the country.
I didn't know this is the situation between Nepal and India. Regardless, though, both countries would be on the losing end if they keep this up. It takes a lot of maturity to separate economic interests from political squabbles. Between India and Nepal, the latter is at a disadvantage. A number of tourists from other Asian countries can't get to Nepal without going through India. Nepal must have lifted the blockade after realising they're putting their economy on the line with their actions.
Depending on how much of an adrenaline junkie you are, it might be a great time to go. If you are into photography, I bet a bunch of photos for an expose might go a long way to funding your trip.Just put them up on a page with some ads, and link it on reddit. People would love to see this unfold, especially because it has some real social consequences.
