People living along the Nepal-India border in Dhanusha have complained that the Indian border security force, Shasastra Seema Bal (SSB), is obstructing them from tilling their own land.  

The villagers of Jatahi, Madana, Bariya and Mukiyapati Musarniya said the SSB personnel visit their homes and threaten them whenever they try to cultivate their land or harvest the produce. 

The border between the two countries is separated by the Jamuni river. After the river changed its course 30 years ago, nearly 100 bighas of Nepali land had fallen towards India.  Since part of the Indian land had also fallen towards Nepal, the people living along the border areas of the two countries had agreed to earn their respective land without one side obstructing the other.

In the recent day, however, the SSB has been barring the Nepali villagers from 

cultivating their land, said the ward chairman of Mukiyapati Musarniya Rural Municipality-2.

He said the land owned by Pheku Yadav, Bahadur Sahani, Surya Mukhiya, Rajdev Yadav, Juri Yadav, Badri Yadav, Dayananda Yadav, Bilat Yadav and Rambrikshya Yadav are now on the Indian side as a result of the Jamuni river changing its course. 

Seventy-year-old Bindeshor Yadav of Mukiyapati accused the SSB of interfering in people’s agreement. 

Locals Pawan Yadav, Juri Yadav, Harinath Yadav, Subedar Yadav, Jimdar Yadav and Arun Yadav of Nepal have long been cultivating the land that now falls on the Indian side. They have planted mango trees, Sisau and bamboos there. These days they are not allowed to visit their property.

Juri Yadav said even the Indian villagers are unhappy with the SSB restriction since many of them have land that now falls on Nepali side. Ramsaroj Yadav, a local Nepali Congress leader, said the government should step in to resolve the dispute.