Kathmandu November 7.

Kalapani area clearly includes in Nepal’s territory. However, recently released new political map of India shows Kalapani and Lipulake areas as theirs territory. This is a shameful act of India.

The Treaty of Sugauli signed by Nepal and British East India Company in 1816 defines the Kalapani as Nepal’s western boundary with India. British India conducted the first surveys in this place, the survey maps show the stream that flows down from the Lipulekh Pass as the Kalapani. This stream has served as the border between India and Nepal. Ignoring this fact India is encroaching Nepal’s land shamelessly. The country has released new political map of India showing Kalapani and Lipulake areas inside their territory.

The government of Nepal claims, Kalapani area obviously includes in Nepal’s territory. The government has clarified this fact only after political map of India is made public. The, map shows the Kalapani region as Indian Territory. Issuing the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, based on mutual agreement any exceptional issues related to border between India and Nepal should be resolved.

The MoFA (Ministery of Foreign Affairs) said in the statement, “Any exceptional issues related to border should be resolved on the basis of mutual agreement. Nepal does not accept any decision taken unilaterally,” The government further added that it is very much clear that Kalapani region is absolutely in the geography of Nepal. This issue should be handled in diplomatic way. “Nepal is devoted to protecting its international borders. Nepal is persistent in its commitment that any border-related issues between the two friendly nations should be resolved through diplomatic channels based on historical documents, facts and proofs,” as per the MoFA statement.

India has already breached the border, the government of Nepal should not stay still rather it should quickly react against this move of India. India is gradually encroaching Nepal’s border. We are all clear that Nepal’s leaders have failed to speak out against India’s interference in Jammu and Kashmir. India is dominating its neighboring countries, Nepal and Pakistan. Although Pakistan has been raising its Jammu – Kasmir issues in UN general assembly, no any changes have occurred yet. Moreover, talking about Nepal, it remained silent in the border argument issue in the United Nations General Assembly. This might be two of the reasons behind the dominance of India. This dominance is gradually increasing on the part of its small neighbor, Nepal and powerless Pakisthan.

All the leaders from both ruling and opposition parties have expressed worries towards the publication of new Indian political map some days before. Here, worries without any important action does not work. Chairperson of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal said one-sided decision is taken on Kalapani therefore our government and parties should take the issue seriously. Similarly, relating to the another issue of Lipulake, Some months ago Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali had said that India and China could not discuss Lipulekh in Nepal’s absence. In a meeting of the International Relations Committee of House of Representatives, Gyawali had said Nepal would not sign on the Nepal-India border narrow piece map unless Kalapani and Susta disputes were resolved.

“The Nepal government does not accept Lipulekh as tri-junction between Nepal, India and China. It will be decided only after Nepal and India have the same opinion to demarcation and No country can discuss Nepal’s territory in Nepal’s absence,” Gyawali said.

There are enough evidences to suggest that Nepal’s westernmost boarder with India is beyond Lipulekh and Kalapani region. Nepal should seriously claim Kalapani region as her own territory. Indian security forces have occupied the region since 1962, and the region has been disputed ever since. Narandra Modi and Xijinping had made a joint statement stating that Lipulekh was a bilateral trade route between the two countries, during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in 2015. Both the countries had agreed to open a trading post in Lipulekh, another disputed area near Kalapani. This issue has been raised time and again for a long time. Now, it has been a hot issue only after India published political map of India. We, Nepal should maintain friendly relationship between all the neighboring countries, however this does not mean that Nepal should remain silent in this border encroachment issue, in the name of maintaining foreign relation. It is really very necessary to draw the attention of international community towards the issue of encroached border of Nepal. It was against the provisions of the 1816 Sugauli Treaty signed between Nepal and India.