Amid the rush of rice planting, Suresh Prasad Singh and Nagendra Prasad Singh, brothers from Balara Municipality–5, who had gone to the Indian market Sonbarsa after chemical fertilizer was unavailable, were arrested on 17 Asar.
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The hearing for the case of two farmer brothers from Sarlahi, who were arrested while trying to bring fertilizer from the Indian market after failing to obtain it for rice planting, will be held next Friday. The hearing on their bail application, after 27 days in judicial custody, is scheduled for July 30 in the Indian court.
Amid the rush to plant rice and the lack of chemical fertilizer, Suresh Prasad Singh and Nagendra Prasad Singh, brothers from Balara Municipality–5, were arrested on July 1 after reaching the Indian market in Sonbarsa. They had bought 2 sacks of urea and 6 sacks of DAP fertilizer in Sonbarsa and were bringing them back by bicycle when a joint team of the Indian Border Security Force (SSB) and the Indian Agriculture Department detained them. On July 2, they were sent to Dumra Jail in Bihar, India, on charges of fertilizer smuggling. Family members have been continuously visiting the Dumra court to secure their release on bail.
Suresh’s son, Avinash Singh, said he had already filed a petition in court last Friday demanding the release of his father and uncle. The court has begun preliminary proceedings on the petition and scheduled a hearing. “Maybe now they will be released on bail. The court process has been slow,” he said.
Local lawyer Kiran Chaudhary of Dumra has been assigned to handle the case. Praveen Singh, a relative of the Singh brothers from Sonbarsa, is coordinating with Chaudhary. Quoting lawyer Chaudhary, Praveen said there will be a hearing in the Dumra court next Friday. After that, the court will decide whether or not to release both on bail.
After the Singh brothers, who had been searching for fertilizer for nearly 3 bighas of land, were detained, their family has still not been able to obtain fertilizer. However, planting was done with the help of neighbors. Avinash said he had also submitted an application to the Balara–5 ward office for fertilizer.
Every year in Nepal, there is a shortage of chemical fertilizer during the main crop planting season. When adequate and timely fertilizer is not available locally, farmers in border areas of Madhesh are forced to rely on the Indian market. However, even when bringing small amounts of fertilizer from Indian territory, farmers have to face strict behavior from the Border Security Force (SSB) and police, as well as legal hassles.
Rastriya Swatantra Party Rautahat leader Uday Sapkota said he had raised the issue with the Ministry of Home Affairs, requesting that genuine farmers be allowed to bring fertilizer from India if necessary. “We have also seen the plight of the farmer brothers from Sarlahi. They have been in jail all these days,” he said. “To resolve the fertilizer crisis, the government must show concern in a timely manner in the future.”
After news appeared in Kantipur about the farmer brothers being in Indian jail, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal also expressed concern on July 20. Minister Khanal said that, although diplomatic coordination had been made with the Indian government through the Nepali Embassy in Delhi, the court process had been prolonged. He said, “The court process has delayed their release. We are continuing our efforts.” Sarlahi Chief District Officer Vijay Raj Subedi said that daily communication is ongoing with Indian security officials for the release of the Singh brothers.
