Vijaya Thapa/Online Khabar

Washington DC, November 23 . Making it the biggest overseas protest against the Indian blockade, a 3,000-strong crowd of Nepalis staged a protest outside the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday.

At the call of Non-Resident Nepalis’ Association, NRNA and other organisations rallied Nepalis against the embargo on Sunday morning with Nepalis from more than 24 states taking part.

The protesters, many of them clad in daura-suruwal and Bhadgaunle caps, were carrying the national flag and displaying placards with messages against the blockade written on them. The protesters made rounds of the White House, to the tunes of Nepal’s national anthem and national songs.

This is the first time Nepalis living in the US and coming from different walks of life have come together to stage their biggest ever protest. Braving cold and displaying placards with messages written in Nepali and English, they shouted slogans against the blockade.

At the programme, speakers spoke against the blockade, while humour artist Manoj Gajurel delivered a message to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also sang a national song. Gajurel said the programme was meant to press for resolution of the Tarai crisis through talks.

The protest organisers also submitted memoranda to the White House, Secretary of State John Kerry and India’s Ambassador to the US.