New Delhi: On Sunday, Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah made a controversial statement in Parliament regarding the verge shared with India. He asserted that just as India has encroached upon Nepali territory, Nepal, too, has encroached upon Indian territory in several places. According to a report by 'The Kathmandu Post', the Nepali Prime Minister gave assurances that the verge disputes concerning Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani would be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
Responding to a question raised in Parliament by Aren Rai, an MP from the Shram Sanskriti Party, Balendra Shah stated, "After rhadamanthine Prime Minister, I realized that not only has India encroached upon Nepali land, but Nepal has moreover encroached upon Indian land in several areas. Both sides need to sit together and deliberate on this matter."
Furthermore, Padma Aryal—Deputy Parliamentary Party Leader of the Communist Party of Nepal—raised a question regarding the trade conducted between India and China via the Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura routes. Responding to this, PM Shah reiterated that a resolution to the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani disputes would be found through diplomatic negotiations. Shah noted that Nepal has once sent an official diplomatic note to India in this regard and has moreover received a response.
Has Nepal Raised the Issue with Britain?
Prime Minister Balendra Shah stated, "The response received from India indicates that both governments will form teams—comprising historians, surveyors, and regional experts—to seek a resolution through dialogue." The Nepali Prime Minister moreover mentioned that Nepal has held diplomatic discussions regarding this verge dispute with both China and Britain, as the issue dates when to the era when the British departed from the region. Therefore, Britain, too, should take an interest in this matter. He guaranteed that his government would raise this issue with Britain.
What is the Nature of the India-Nepal Verge Dispute?
The territorial dispute between India and Nepal—specifically concerning the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani regions—is rooted in the Treaty of Sugauli, signed in 1816. Nepal claims that, by recognizing the Mahakali River (Kalapani) as the purlieus line, the Lipulekh Pass, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani fall within its territory. In 2020, Nepal issued a new political map asserting its requirement over these regions.
Nepal argues that, based on old maps from the British era and the river's point of origin, these areas vest to Nepal. However, these areas constitute part of the Pithoragarh district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. India counters that it has maintained a verge outpost in this location since the 1950s and that the region holds strategic significance, particularly since 1962. The Lipulekh Pass serves as a strategic route leading to Tibet, withal which India has synthetic a road. Several rounds of talks have been held between the two nations regarding this issue, yet no permanent resolution has been reached.
