Indian security agencies monitor Nepal border amid ISI radicalisation concerns

Indian security agencies have increased vigilance along the border with Nepal following intelligence reports alleging that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is attempting to influence demographic and communal landscapes in Nepal. Officials are particularly concerned about the Terai region, where repeated clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities have been reported over the last year.

Intelligence Bureau officials stated that Nepal has historically served as a transit route for terrorists entering India. Current concerns focus on a potential sustained campaign of radicalisation and rapid demographic shifts. Reports suggest an increase in activities linked to Wahhabism and the establishment of facilities to accommodate members of the Islamic missionary organisation Dawat-e-Islami, specifically noting Nepalgunj as an area of interest.

Security agencies fear that communal instability in the Terai could spill over the open border into India, potentially destabilising the region.