West Champaran (Bihar), Aug 20: The sealing of a key Bihar-Uttar Pradesh border crossing in West Champaran has triggered widespread inconvenience and public anger, with residents questioning the restrictions and asking, “Is this the Pakistan border?”
Uttar Pradesh Police have barricaded the Katki-Narkahwa border near Piprasi, restricting the movement of people and vehicles between the two states for 12 hours every day. The crossing remains closed from 8 pm to 8 am until further orders.
The restriction has particularly affected hundreds of residents who routinely cross the state boundary for education, work, farming and business. Schoolchildren travelling to Uttar Pradesh in the early morning, along with daily-wage labourers, farmers and shopkeepers, are among those facing difficulties.
Locals said the closure during the morning hours has created serious problems as many students leave for school around 6 to 6:30 am, while workers and traders also begin their day early. Those reaching the barricades during the restricted hours are being turned back by police personnel deployed at the border.
With the main route closed, commuters are being forced to take alternative routes, travelling several additional kilometres. Some residents have reportedly started using farmland and footpaths to cross the area.
Residents from both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have also alleged that police personnel have misbehaved with schoolchildren and other commuters seeking to cross the border. The allegations have further fuelled resentment in the border villages.
“It feels like we have reached the Pakistan border,” residents said, expressing their anger over restrictions between two neighbouring states.
UP and Bihar residents, including Shailesh Yadav, Ramkripal Yadav, Manager Kushwaha, Sangharsh Kushwaha and others, alleged that police were treating commuters as if they were attempting to cross an international border.
“The UP police is sealing the border and treating the people as if these people are crossing the Pakistan border and not the border of their own state,” they said.
Police personnel at the crossing said the border had been closed “on instructions from higher authorities”.
Residents have warned that they could launch protests if normal movement is not restored soon.
“If the administration does not facilitate traffic soon, we will be forced to stage protests,” they said.
Piprasi police station chief Rajiv Kumar Sharma said efforts were being made to resolve the issue through discussions with the police authorities of the border area.
“Efforts are being made to restore normal traffic by talking to the station chief of the border area,” Sharma said, adding that the situation was expected to return to normal by Friday.
