Sugam Pokharel, CNN
Who, What, Where, Why, When:
Shortly after Nepal passed a new constitution this fall, Indian fuel trucks stopped bringing gas shipping gas into the country. Tanker trucks from India are the primary source of gas for Nepal, and it is a critical commodity for the developing nation’s economy. The sudden halt of fuel from India has had devastating effects on the Nepalese economy, which was already struggling from the April earthquake. Indian officials claim that the truck drivers have ceased their route by choice and not by government mandate. The constitution that was passed and then almost immediately suspended in Nepal alienated ethnic minorities in the southern Terai region of Nepal, directly on the border of India. Violent outbursts and protests in response to the constitution have occurred among those ethnic groups, resulting in at least 45 citizen and police deaths in August and September alone. India’s main motive for forcing a change in the Nepalese constitution would be to stop the violence in southern Nepal for fear that it may spill over the border into India. Nepalese officials and citizens are outspoken in their opinion that India is using its economic power over Nepal to pressure it to change its constitution, while India denies all accusations. Nepalese citizens and officials widely believe that India is not respecting the sovereignty of Nepal. Because of the crippling economic effects of the lack of gas, China has recently sent relief gas trucks to Nepal.
Democratic Values:
Equality:
The ethnic minorities in the southern Terai region of Nepal are violently protesting the Nepalese constitution because they believe that it marginalizes them, and they demand their right to equal representation. It is up to Nepal’s government and voting system to change and develop the constitution to best suit the needs of its people.
Liberty:
As Nepal’s economy rapidly crumbles, the liberty and very lives of the Nepalese people are in peril. India’s unofficial trade blockade as a method of political leverage is a direct violation of Nepal’s rights as a sovereign country. The constitution was voted on and passed by the people of Nepal, and despite the fact that it does not fully represent all of the ethnic minorities of Nepal, India does not have the right to essentially shut down the country in order to change it.
Bias:
The article focuses a lot on the plight of the Nepalese people due to the gas shortage. It uses clearly biased quotes by Nepalese people that demonstrate the contempt many people in Nepal feel towards India right now.
Nepalese citizens wait in long lines to get their cooking oil.
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Ethan H. and Devin C.
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