SEOUL, Feb 3: The border disputes between Nepal and India should be resolved through diplomatic talks, not from the streets, said former Ambassador of India to Nepal K V Rajan.

The territory of Kalapani has been a bone of contention between India and Nepal lately after the Indian government in November last year released its political map placing the region inside its border, which is claimed by Nepal but remains under Indian control since 1962. 

 “All the issues of border disputes including Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura will be resolved through diplomatic talks,” said Rajan while talking to Rishi Dhamala. Both Rajan and Dhamala are in Seoul, the capital of South Korea to attend the World Peace Media Conference 2020.

The release of the new Indian political map angered the people across Nepal who took to streets protesting the Indian border encroachment.

“Protests and street demonstrations will not solve the border row. It should be rather be solved through diplomatic dialogues, not through public pressure,” furthered Rajan, who served as the ambassador in Kathmandu from March 15, 1995, to June 13, 2000. 

“A foreign-secretary level talk is taking place soon. I believe the border disputes will be resolved soon,” he added.

According to Rajan, despite the recent hiccups, Nepal and India share a very positive bond at the bilateral level.

“Both the government are strong. The people-to-people relation is very positive. Both the prime ministers share a very deep and positive bond, and I believe, will continue in the days ahead,” he said.

 “India is always ready to support Nepal in its goal to achieve prosperity,” he added.

KATHMANDU, Nov 12: The heads of 6 political parties came together to form a United National Movement to protest against the inclusion of Nepalese land of Limpiadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulek in the newly released Indian map.

Organizing a joint press release at the Reporters Club yesterday six heads of various parties C.P Mainali of Nepal Communist Party Marxist, Nepali, Haribol Bhattarai of Nepali Congress B.P, Govinda Niraula of Nepal Socialist Party Congress, Subhash Raj Kafle from People’s Socialist Party, Bhawana Bidhrohi of Nepal Communist Proletariat Party Maoist, and Dhanshyam Bhandari of People’s Democratic Party were present on the occasion.

The leaders expressed their strong dissatisfaction and displeasure of India unilaterally keeping Nepali territory in their maps hurting the integrity of the Nepali people.

The press release stated, “the newly released map of India that shows Limpiadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulek as their territory has hurt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nepal and it is a direct attack”. We oppose this attitude of the Government of India (GoI), and they have to immediately take corrective measures which are a pressing demand”.

The press release highlighted that Nepal was always independent and will always be. It has also respected the freedom and sovereignty of its neighbors and expected the same. “The freedom attained through the supreme sacrifices of our ancestors will be protected, and this historical fact will be looked on while moving forward for the future. We are ready to sacrifice too and face any difficulty to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“Though late, but the GoN did call a meeting and achieved overwhelming support from all the political parties to confront the border dispute. This has to be taken forward diplomatically, with a concentrated effort that will leave a lasting impact. However the GoN has not been able to produce any policy and program strong enough, and this is a matter of genuine and grave concern”.

The press release stated that we support the GoN in their step regarding this matter, but they also have to consider the aspirations of the people and move forward accordingly. Till then the struggle and movement will continue, and the GoN needs to take notice and take sincere steps toward resolving the issue”.

KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Member of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the party presidium of Rashtriya Janata Party (National People’s Party) Mahendra Raya Yadav said that “since the area of Kalapani is a part of Nepal the Government of Nepal (GoN) should take immediate steps in order to bring it back”.

Speaking at a press interaction program organized at the Reporters Club HoR Yadav spoke on the current border dispute. “In a historic stand of unity a meeting was held in Baluwatar and all parties are in agreement. Our nation has a strong government.

The agreement yesterday has provided more strength to the GoN. The border dispute has been going on from the past 70 years and it is time that we take diplomatic steps and resolve this dispute through dialogue and diplomacy for lasting future”.

HoR Yadav said that we had taken several steps in the past, we made visits to India, but the matter remained unresolved. The secretary-level meetings and the subsequent committees were unable to solve the problem. The GoN now will have to take an active diplomatic step. There have to be three channels of academicians, technocrats, and politicians to resolve the dispute, and the GoN has to take this step.

“We won’t spare an inch of our space, we are united for our territorial integrity. The government has to seriously initiate a step”.

“It is a challenging but opportune moment for the GoN to take a step forward to seek a solution. It has unanimous support from all the parties including RJPN”.

“We will not yield results by protesting in the streets and the dispute won’t be resolved. We have to better our relations with India, and this responsibility has to be shouldered by the current government.

Protests create a distance, but dialogue and discussion would definitely bring a solution. Nepal has all the evidence with maps and historical records in place, so the entire land that has been encroached should be given back”.

KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Co-chairperson of the ruling Samajwadi Party and Member of House of Representatives Rajendra Shrestha said that “our party has opposed the inclusion of Nepali land in the new Indian map”.

“In the meeting called by Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli yesterday we were positively in support with the ruling party and that internal unity was required to fight back foreign forces.

Speaking at an interaction program organized on Sunday at the Reporters Club Shrestha said ” which period do we take into account to determine the border?

Three hundred years ago there was a border, after the treaty of Sugauli there was one, and alongside the treaty in 1860 A.D  during Junga Bahadur Rana’s time, the border has been maintained. With this the entire area from Mechi to the river Mahakali, from the mountains to the Terai plains the entire border is ours.

He made it clear that the western border of Mahakali River from the area of Limpiadhura was taken as the origin of the border and this has been confirmed by past agreements.

“Previously we had secretary-level members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looking into the issue but they were unable to resolve it. The Eminent Persons Group (EPG) report has been prepared too. The Government of Nepal (GoN) has to make the report public. We all are well aware of the treaty of 1950 and its contents regarding disputes, trade, and transport.  There is ample information available.

The meeting which took place at the Prime Minister’s residence garnered unanimous support, and we all are positive in our unity”.

“We must now take the issue up at a Ministerial level or at the Prime Ministerial level was our suggestion. The PM should move forward accordingly leaving aside partisan politics”.

“We have to devise a strategy and move forward with absolute unity in terms of security and foreign policy of the country. He said “previously during the time of elections people went to Delhi to seek support, and parties were involved in a game of toppling the government. This was politically incorrect and we invited intervention for ourselves. We have to improve as political parties.

We cannot take support from foreign sources. We have to involve academicians, skilled diplomats, and civil society in order to have a clear framework. It would provide a holistic vision. It will be beneficial for our future if we take this path, and it will be a new setup in our foreign policy. The Prime Minister has to initiate a dialogue, and we have to get our lands back”.

KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) senior leader and former Minister Ramesh Lekhak said that “there is no doubt and the matter is not unclear that the Kalapani area belonged to Nepal. The areas of Kalapani, Lipulek, and Limpiadhura have to be taken back by Nepal”.

Speaking at a special press interaction program organized at the Reporters Club former Minister said “all the political parties stand united on the matter. The Government of Nepal (GoN) will have to take a stand politically and diplomatically to initiate a dialogue.

Yesterday the all-party meet in Baluwatar has given a lot of strength to the ruling party. The entire eastern portion of the river Mahakali belongs to Nepal. This has also been made clear by our party President in yesterday’s meeting”.

Lekhak said “the areas of Kalapani have Indian security forces stationed, but the land belongs to Nepal. There is no two ways or doubt regarding the matter. Our party President former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba also has expressed a similar opinion.

It is an opportunity for the country, and the government has a majority. The parties are unanimous regarding this. We have to take a high-level of diplomatic stand and move forward accordingly. This is a test for the ruling party to prove themselves”.

“We have to take a stand for our Nation and utilize our entire strength politically and diplomatically to resolve this issue. The current ruling party has a huge responsibility, and we are ready to help them in every which way required”.

KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Former Deputy Prime Minister and senior leader of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Bhim Rawal has said that “Limpiadhura, Lipulek, Susta, and Kalapani are geographically a part of Nepal, and in order to get that back the Government of Nepal (GoN) should pursue active diplomacy”.

“The geographical integrity and its consolidation have to be maintained and Prime Minister K.P.Oli has called for an all-party meet. The NCP has support and strength of all the parties”.

Speaking at a program organized at the Reporters Club officiated by senior journalist and President of the Reporters Club Rishi Dhamala yesterday the former DPM spoke on the current border dispute between Nepal and India.

“GoN should have a clear stand and approach regarding the border dispute. It is the first time in modern history that for the Nation’s territorial integrity leaders are putting behind partisan politics and all the parties represented in the parliament are unanimous in their support”.

(Former Deputy Prime Minister and senior leader of the ruling Nepal Communist Party Bhim Rawal)

“We have put it organizationally and the GoN now should start a dialogue with India as additional strength has been received. This is an opportunity for the government. India and Nepal have a majority government, and the ruling parties are powerful. This is a chance to find the answers to all the questions we have regarding Nepal-India ties. The GoN has to take an active step and that is my suggestion”.

“I had spoken in the committee meeting yesterday. This is a momentous opportunity to initiate a dialogue with India regarding the border dispute. Kalapani, Susta, and various other border points that have issues can be resolved and Nepal’s sovereignty established. We can then proceed to conclude the strip map of both nations.

Surveyors have to be consulted and a solution has to be sought with a clear conceptual framework. Only those who have a high moral character, efficiency and proficiency in geography should be given the responsibility of constructing the map”.

The former DPM spoke about how there was enough evidence to prove that the disputed territories of Limpiadhura, Lipulek, Susta, and Kalapani belonged to Nepal and that it had an exclusive sovereign right to these lands. There were records, historical writings, maps and agreements which depict the disputed territory as part of Nepal.

The former DPM said, “we have to include academic professionals, surveyors, and diplomatic personnel along with historians in the team that will initiate a dialogue regarding the matter”.

He also spoke of the necessity to reconstruct lost and broken border pillars. He also said that during the all-party meet he spoke about the “tremendous necessity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept the report prepared by the Eminent Persons Group (EPG).  The use of the EPG, however, should also take into account historical contexts and other facts prevalent”.

“In yesterday’s meeting, I also spoke on the relevance of adding the triangular disputed section of Kalapani to be included in the study of geography for children. The Indian Army that is stationed there also has to be removed. I also spoke about providing logistics and other support in the area for administrative purposes to strengthen our hold to PM Oli during our meeting”.

“We cannot wait for India to take the initiative all the time, this time we have to take an active diplomatic step to resolve this dispute. The media has constantly shed light on various activities in our borders regarding the Junge pillar and others that have been lost. We have to seriously bring this issue internationally as there are challenges of cross border crime, and we have to take it with caution and seriousness”.

“In King Mahendra’s time, there was an agreement regarding Kalapani and the integrated development of the Mahakali River. A resolution was passed along with a formation of a special committee in the parliament. There was an extensive discussion about the origin of the Mahakali River.

“During the committee meeting an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the King had signed an agreement with India, I said to Ram Chandra Poudel who was presiding over the meeting that if such is the case then let the agreement be submitted before the committee and till then this meeting can be adjourned. The fact is there was no agreement it was false, and that if there was an agreement then it would have been shown to us by our Indian counterparts”.

“Resolving the border dispute is not to disrupt peace or stop people from moving to and fro, most importantly it is to curb and neutralize criminal activities. Recently the United States government released a report which says that Indian Mujahideen has not only entered Nepal but is proactive. This is extremely serious. This is why when I was the Home Minister I had kept an armed police force check post.

“This entire matter will be discussed in the executive committee meeting. We cannot let this issue go stale without taking an appropriate initiative. We have to provide utmost importance, if not it will be concerning, and hence the government will not retract” he said.

KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Main opposition Nepali Congress Party’s senior leader and former Minister Narayan Prakash Saud stressed the Government of Nepal (GoN) to put the matter of border dispute diplomatically in an amicable manner. Speaking at the Reporters Club last Friday former Minister Saud said that since India released its new map which shows Kalapani and Lipulek as its territory, numerous countries in South Asia have begun debates.

“What are your priorities and concerns as Nepalese? We have to be clear on this, the Lipulek dispute is not a new matter. It is an age-old issue between the bilateral relations between India, and this has been brought up time and again. Years ago when Nepal’s census was conducted numerous Nepali pastures existed in the mountains in Kalapani. During the period of the Panchayat rule, the diameter was located in Darchula in Nepal and then the Indian army encroached in the area”.

“Historically when the treaty of Sugauli was signed with the British East India Company our borders were Mechi to the north and Mahakali to the South which has been maintained. Before the treaty, it was Teesta to the north and Kangra in the south. The Mahakali is a natural river we have to consider its geographical aspect”.

Surveyors have determined the lines, it is present in the British Library and various other sources are present. The Government of Nepal (GoN) should put its views forward precise and assertive but that has not been the case. Our countries saw various Prime Ministers but none of them could provide their approach to resolve the dispute.

“It was unfortunate that although the matter of border dispute was to be resolved by a secretary-level meet that could not materialize. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had an agreement on Limpiadhura we never protested then, and our silence made a serious impact”.

Nepali Congress (NC) has been expressing its opinions and bringing it out to the general public regarding the border dispute. We have to be one regarding this matter. Our party President has spoken, but the ruling party stoked fake nationalism to garner votes.

“Now when the time has come to speak on this critical issue the PM remains silent. The GoN seems unable to do or say anything, and our foreign policy has been severely affected. The GoN has not taken enough responsibility, it is being defensive, but leaving partisan politics aside we all have one view regarding this, and NC totally will support the government there is no doubt on that”.

“There is a void in our diplomatic efforts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have to help the GoN, and we are all committed to the spirit of nationalism. Journalists, civil society, political parties and the organs of the GoN have to unite. We will diplomatically resolve this issue and find a permanent solution. The GoN has to be firm in its stance to say that the land is rightfully ours. Through dialogue and producing evidence of historical literature and maps we have to seek a solution to the dispute,” he said.

KATHMANDU, Nov 10: Ruling Nepali Communist Party (NCP) central committee member and former Minister Lekhraj Bhatta said that both Kalapani and Lipulek are part of Nepal and that history bears witness to this fact. He also said that we need a diplomatic channel in order to resolve this issue.

Speaking at a special press interaction program organized by the Reporters Club on the 8^th of November former Minister Bhatta also said that “we need a long term vision and skillful diplomacy in order to resolve the border dispute”.

“The foreign ministry should have summoned the Ambassador and asked for a clarification on the matter, but that did not happen”. I had raised this issue back in 2015 when India and China agreed to open a trading point without consulting Nepal.

I had opposed the decision then and had spoken at that period at the Reporters Club. “We have to learn from our weakness, the citizens, political parties, and the organs of the government have to be united and move forward diplomatically in order to resolve the issue. We have to find a solution to this dispute, but we are not going to achieve much if we take it to the streets.

We have to study the entire historical incidents and identify the weak spots that have led to this problem and then find an amicable solution.

When the Sino-Indian war took place and the Indian military stationed their unit in the area of Kalapani, Nepal Army (NA) should have been allowed to station a unit too. The previous governments did little to resolve this dispute. He also accepted that his government too did not do much in order to resolve this dispute.

Lipulek and Kalapani are integral parts of Nepal. There is numerous historical evidence that supports the fact, from maps to historical documents, in British written accounts, numerous maps, and in the Kanchanpur government office in Nepal to there is evidence that supports that the land is rightfully ours. We have to now stake a claim and prepare well in order to take it up further.

Our party is in power, we cannot take to the streets, and we have to move forward in a partisan way through channels within the party. The two PM’s should speak to each other, we should have sent a representative, activate our Ambassador there, and take clarification from the Indian Ambassador here. We should have the courage to take these bold steps but none of it has happened.

The press release on the issue taken out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not mention a name and neither a stamp, why? The Prime Minister should have given clear directives regarding this. More than the streets now is the time to move forward through diplomatic channels.

The Government of Nepal should show diplomatic skills in order to tackle the issue but that is lacking in our political leaders. I had raised the issue of 2015 within the party of the issue of the agreement of the Prime Minister of India and the President of China when they unilaterally signed the agreement on Lipulek.

We are not going to achieve anything by taking to the streets, the matter won’t be resolved. We have done this in the past and yielded no results. We need diplomatic skills to resolve this problem, to apply pressure through street protests is one thing, but long term all political parties have to unite for the nation and move forward diplomatically to resolve the border dispute”, he said.

KATHMANDU, Nov 8: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has called the all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the disputed border issues with India.

The Prime Minister will hold meeting with former prime ministers, former foreign affairs ministers and senior leaders of various political parties regarding the border disputes with India including Kalapani and Lipulekh, said PM’s Press Advisor Dr Kundar Aryal.

After India unveiled its new political map reflecting the newly formed Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh that placed the territories of Kalapani and Lipulekh inside the Indian border, students and leaders from various political parties have intensified their protest against the encroachment of Nepali territories.

Nepal has objected to the new Indian map saying the territory “clearly” belonged to Nepal and ‘any unilateral decision to change border demarcation would be unacceptable”.

On the other hand, India has said the map has accurately depicted the sovereign territory of India while claiming the new map has not revised the boundary.

KATHMANDU, Nov 8: Students affiliated to All Nepal National Free Students Union, a sister wing of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP),  staged a demonstration outside the Indian Embassy at Lainchour in Kathmandu on Friday, protesting the inclusion of the disputed territory of Kalapani in the new political map of India released a week ago.

They chanted slogans “Kalapani belongs to us”, “Lipulekh is ours” and burned the map of India in protest against the border encroachment.

Students of Pashupati Multiple Campus also organized a protest rally demanding correction in India’s new map.

Kathmandu District Committee of Nepal Student Union, a student wing of main opposition party Nepali Congress led the rally which started from Mitrapark and ended at Pashupati Campus.

The Indian government unveiled a new Indian political map on Nov 2 reflecting the newly formed Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the move to rescind the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir under the Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which also places Kalapani and Lipulekh, both claimed by Nepal, inside its border.

Nepal has objected to the new Indian map saying the territory “clearly” belonged to Nepal and ‘any unilateral decision to change border demarcation would be unacceptable”.

On the other hand, India has said the map has accurately depicted the sovereign territory of India while claiming the new map has not revised the boundary.

Photo: Riwaj Rai/Facebook