Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli said that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and vowed to “reclaim” them from India through political and diplomatic efforts, as his Cabinet endorsed a new political map showing the three areas as Nepalese territory.

The prime minister’s remarks came a day after the Cabinet headed by him endorsed a new political map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura under Nepal’s territory.

Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said the official map of Nepal will soon be made public by the ministry of land management. The move announced by Gyawali came weeks after he said that efforts were on to resolve the border issue with India through diplomatic initiatives. 

Ruling Nepal Communist Party lawmakers have also tabled a special resolution in Parliament demanding return of  Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh to Nepal.

According to a report, the new map includes 335-km land area including Limpiyadhura in the Nepalese territory. The new map was drawn on the basis of the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 signed between Nepal and then the British India government and other relevant documents, which suggests Limpiyadhura — from where the Kali river originated — is Nepal’s border with India, the report added.

India rejects Nepal’s map

India asked Nepal not to resort to any “artificial enlargement” of its territorial claim. The ministry of external affairs said the revised map of Nepal included parts of the Indian territory and asked Kathmandu to refrain from such “unjustified cartographic assertion”.

“This unilateral act is not based on historical facts and evidence. It is contrary to the bilateral understanding to resolve the outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue. Such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

He said Nepal is well aware of India’s consistent position on the matter.

“We urge the government of Nepal to refrain from such unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope that the Nepalese leadership will create a positive atmosphere for diplomatic dialogue to resolve the outstanding boundary issues,” he said.

Fresh row erupts after inauguration of road

The Lipulekh pass is a far western point near Kalapani, a disputed border area between Nepal and India. 

India has maintained that Kalapani is a part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district. Nepal claims that the region is a part of Dharchula district. 

India and Nepal are at a row after New Delhi issued a new political map last year incorporating Kalapani on its side of the border.

The tension further escalated after India inaugurated the road link connecting Kailash Mansarovar, a holy pilgrimage site situated at Tibet, China.

Nepal’s foreign minister last week summoned the Indian ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and handed over a diplomatic note to him to protest against the construction of a key road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand.

India has said that the recently-inaugurated road section in Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand lies completely within its territory. Indian Army chief Gen M.M. Naravane said that there were reasons to believe that Nepal objected to India’s newly-inaugurated road linking Lipulekh Pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand at the behest of “someone else”, in an apparent reference to a possible role by China on the matter.

He said there was no dispute whatsoever between India and Nepal in the area and road laid was very much within the Indian side.

The 80-km long strategically crucial road at a height of 17,000 feet along the border with China in Uttarakhand was thrown open by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier this month.

Nepal has raised objection to the inauguration of the road, saying the “unilateral act” was against the understanding reached between the two countries on resolving the border issues.

Meanwhile, China said the Kalapani border issue is between India and Nepal as it hoped that the two neighbours could refrain from “unilateral actions” and properly resolve their disputes through friendly consultations.

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