Darjeeling: As political turmoil intensified in Nepal on Monday, residents of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, and Siliguri grappled with mounting anxiety over the safety of their loved ones across the border.
Protests against govt corruption in Kathmandu have already claimed at least 16 lives, while a sweeping ban on 26 social media platforms since Sept 4 further strained communication channels. With calls and messages left unanswered, many resorted to patchy VPN services, caught in an agonising wait for news amid the growing unrest.
Patients who travelled to Nepal for medical treatment, however, were unaffected by the ban, as hospitals near the Indo-Nepalese border provided their own internet services, enabling them to remain connected with their anxious families in India.
A middle-aged woman from Darjeeling, whose brother, nephews, and other relatives live in Thamel, Kathmandu, said she was desperately trying to reach her family after hearing about the ongoing unrest. However, all her efforts went in vain as calls failed to connect following the social media ban.
"We were always in touch through social media, but the ban has hit us hard, especially today as the protests turned violent.
Despite repeated attempts, I couldn't get through, and my anxiety only grew," said the hotelier, who requested not to be named.
Later in the evening, her nephew from Thamel managed to contact her through a VPN. He told her that the protests could intensify after a protester was killed in New Baneshwor.
Another resident of Darjeeling, Bikram Pradhan, whose sister is married and living in Kathmandu, said: "Each time we tried calling, it was just a beep, and our anxiety grew as the unrest intensified and more lives were lost.
My father kept urging me to get in touch with her, wanting to hear her voice. Out of desperation, I downloaded another social media app, Viber, through which we finally managed to connect."
Speaking to TOI, Abhinav Shrestha, a maxillofacial surgeon from Biratnagar Community Hospital in Nepal, said the ban was not effective at the hospital as it had its own ISP and many Indians come for treatment. "Since the hospital is located around 8 km from the border, many Indians come here for treatment.
However, the ban was not effective at the hospital as it operates on its own ISP, allowing patients' families to stay connected with their relatives in India," said Shrestha.
Norbu Sherpa from Sandakphu, which is situated on the border, said many Nepalese people were standing at the border and some were even crossing into Indian territory to use Indian internet connectivity and social media access to connect with their relatives and stay updated.