India and Nepal have shared intense people-to-people relations for a very long time. Geographical factors have been reinforced by religious, cultural and ethnic affinities between the inhabitants of the Terai region and their counterparts across the border. The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal further reinforced the need for an open border for encouraging free movement of people and commodities across the borders. The open border has contributed significantly towards a shared feeling of belongingness, especially at the border. As India and Nepal share many commonalities, the open border can always be harnessed as a springboard for opportunities which are aplenty on both sides of the border. This article delves into the mutual needs of the people across the open border, a lifeline for inhabitants of the border regions and the steps taken at the people-to-people and the government level for the continuance of the ‘benefit-factor’ between each other in times of well-being and distress.
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