New Delhi: India Tuesday rejected any third country involvement in its border dispute with Nepal, highlighting that there exists bilateral mechanisms to discuss all issues between New Delhi and Kathmandu.
“While close to 98 percent of the India-Nepal boundary has been demarcated, there are some unresolved segments. The shifting of the course of the Gandak river has resulted in this situation. In addition, there are cases of cross-border occupation and encroachment of No-Man’s land in demarcated segments of the boundary which are currently being mapped jointly,” Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said at a regular press briefing.
Jaiswal added: “We have established bilateral mechanisms to deal with all aspects of boundary matters. It should be clear to all concerned that there is no role for any third parties in a bilateral matter between India and Nepal.”
The border issues came into focus again after Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah said Sunday that territorial encroachments had occurred by both New Delhi and Kathmandu, while highlighting that China and the United Kingdom should be involved in mediating the dispute. Shah in his first speech to Nepal’s Parliament announced that he had raised the lingering territorial issues with Beijing and London, as the issue dates to the UK’s withdrawal from the region in the 1940s.
Kathmandu has raised the territorial issues surrounding Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh. Nepal has claimed these regions as a part of its territory. India has maintained that these territories are part of the state of Uttarakhand and has consistently denied any claim by Kathmandu on these three regions.
Shah in his comments did not specify encroachments by either India or Nepal. The new Prime Minister of Nepal indicated that the only way to solve these disputes is through dialogue between New Delhi and Kathmandu.
The issue surfaced recently, after India and China announced this year’s Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The Yatra follows two routes, via Lipulekh pass and the Nathu La pass. Kathmandu had urged India and China to not use the Lipulekh pass for movement of pilgrims. India opposed Nepal’s remarks, highlighting that the pilgrimage has been ongoing since 1954 through the Lipulekh pass. It highlighted that last year too the pilgrimage had happened through both the passes.
The issue over the three territories intensified in 2019 after Nepal objected to a new map published by New Delhi highlighting Kalapani as part of Indian territory.
In 2020 India inaugurated a new road linking Lipulekh to the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route. In June 2020 Nepal amended its constitution to incorporate a new map including the three areas within its borders.
The latest developments come at a time when Rabi Lamichhane, chairman of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party is in New Delhi at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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