Bhutanese refugees on Wednesday staged a demonstration in front of the Indian embassy in Kathmandu demanding right of passage to their homeland through Indian territory even as India decided not to allow the refugees transit without valid documents.
A day after the Bhutanese clashed with Seema Suraksha Bal at Panitanki in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, the refugees, chanting slogans against the Indian government, tried to burn the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh near the embassy but were stopped by some three dozen riot policemen deployed in the area.
The protesters, who were stopped 50 metres from the embassy gate, condemned Tuesday’s firing on refugees on Mechi-bridge near Indian border.
They said a 20-year-old student was killed during the firing by Indian security forces when the refugees were moving towards Bhutan as part of their long march starting from refugees camps in Jhapa district in eastern Nepal. At least 40 Sashastra Seema Bal personnel were injured in stone pelting by a mob of Bhutanese refugees from Nepal who tried to cross into India at Panitanki.
“We condemn the killing of the youth by Indian security personnel and their acts of suppressing the peaceful demonstrators,” said Bhutanese Journalist T P Mishra.
 who led the demonstration.
In Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Secretary A K Deb told reporters that the Centre has communicated to the state government that no Bhutanese refugee returning home from Nepal without valid documents will be allowed passage through India.