It's not all good in the Himalayas nowadays, not just because of India's persistent border issue with China but also because of some recent bitterness with our long time good neighbouring country Nepal.
You can understand the sourness of the issue by the recent statement of Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, the P.M. of Nepal, where he blamed India for the rise of corona cases in Nepal and in addition, accused India of occupying some areas of Nepal.
The purpose of this road was to aid the people on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as per claims because above this disputed area lies Tibet, where the Kailash Mansarovar is situated. Before the construction of this road, the yatris had to go to the Kailash Mansarovar via Sikkim, it was a trek of 5 days.
After the construction of this road, they will reach China's border in a car, which will be followed by a mere 2 day trek.
The Nepal government was not happy with the opening of this road as they believed that the Lipulekh pass comes under Nepal, and if India had to construct this road they should have consulted Nepal first and worked on an agreement.
In response to this, the external affairs ministry of India said that this area comes completely under the territory of India and therefore they did not hold a consultation with Nepal. This was not required because they had constructed a road within their own territory.
In the past also, many efforts to resolve this complex border issue have been done by both the sides but no solution has been found yet.
Some media reports and Experts of foreign affairs believe and suggest that China is instigating Nepal in this matter. It also has a lot to do with the present Nepal government which came in power on a strong nationalist wave.
If Indians and people of Nepal can anyway cross the border without any visa or passport and can work and reside in each other's country. So, what is so special about the disputed area?
What is the controversy about? Is it just about the representation on a political map or a country's pride or some kind of insecurity?
Conclusion
No matter what it is about, and who is right and who is not, but the thing that matters the most is the peace and prosperity of the region. Both the countries should at least try to resolve this complex issue with judiciousness in the interest of the region.
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| The Nepalese Tibetan prayer flags at Himalaya |
The kind of close bond India has shared with Nepal historically has not been shared with any other nation. Not only Indians and Nepalese can cross each other's border without a visa, but they can also live and work in each other's country.
But the good relation between these two neighbouring countries has begun to become bitter over the past few days. A border dispute is developing between both the countries.
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| Nepal Flag` |
But the good relation between these two neighbouring countries has begun to become bitter over the past few days. A border dispute is developing between both the countries.
The rise of Dispute and the Disputed Area
The border issue between India and Nepal is not new though, this controversy rose again within the Indian media when Nepal came out with its new map a few days ago, in which they included an area which they hadn't included in their maps before, an area which comes under the control of India.
The disputed area is a triangular shaped area in the north western tip of Nepal according to their new map. This area is actually the eastern most tip of Uttarakhand.
It covers around 300 sq. kilometres, the north most village is Limpiyadhura, south east part is Lipulekh pass, and to the south west is Gunji and Kalapani. This area is defined by these three places - Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh pass, and Kalapani.
Nepal believes that this area rightfully belongs to them whereas we believe it is a part of India. Nepal considers the Treaty of Sagauli as the only authentic document on boundary illustration.
Treaty of Sagauli
The treaty of Sagauli is the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal. This treaty was signed on 2 December 1815 and was sanctioned on 4 March 1816 between the British India Government and Gurkha chiefs of Nepal following the Anglo-Nepalese War.
The unified Nepal attempted to extend its empire, conquering much of the Sikkim in the east and the regions of Garhwal and Kumaon in the Uttarakhand which brought them in friction with the British who were ruling India at that time.
This led to the Anglo-Nepalese war, in which the British dislodged the Nepalese from the occupied regions and proposed a treaty of peace and friendship which was popularly known as treaty of sagauli.
Some of the important terms of this treaty were as follows -
1.) There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between the East India Company and King of Nepal.
2.) The king of Nepal will renounce all the claims to the lands which were a subject of discussion between the two states before the war and will acknowledge the right of the company to the sovereignty of those lands.
3.) The king of Nepal will surrender to the East India Company in perpetuity all the under mentioned territories first the whole of the lowlands between river Kali and Rapti, second the whole of the lowlands between Rapti and Gunduck except footwall heard, third the whole of lowlands between Gunduck and Koshi in which the authority of the East India Company has been established, fourth the whole of lowlands between rivers mechi and teethi, fifth the whole of territories within the hills eastward of the river mechi.
Indo Nepal -Treaty of Peace and Friendship
With the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the two countries, India and Nepal initiated their relationship. It was signed at Kathmandu by the last Rana the then P.M. of Nepal Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and Chandreshwar Narayan Singh the then Indian Ambassador to Nepal on 31 July 1950.
This treaty between India and Nepal can be considered as an important link in strengthening the bond between both the countries.
This treaty stated that neither of the government of the two countries, India and Nepal, shall tolerate any threat to the security of other by a foreign aggressor.
And will inform each other of any serious conflict or misunderstanding with any neighbouring state that may cause any rift in the relation between the two nations.
This treaty also gave the people of Nepal, same educational and economic opportunities as Indian citizens get in India, while Indian citizens and businesses got favourable treatment in Nepal as compared to other Nationalities.
This treaty also cancels all the previous Treaties, agreements and engagements entered into on behalf of India between the British government and the government of Nepal.
The Events that Provoked Nepal
This controversy broke out due to two events, the first of which happened around 6 months ago when on November 2019 when the Modi government released a new map of India, in which the region of Kalapani was claimed to be under India, which triggered the Nepal government.
The second event happened on 8th May, 2020, when the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new road, this road was around 80 kilometres along the India-Nepal border through this disputed area uptil Lipulekh.Treaty of Sagauli
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| Treaty of Sagauli |
The treaty of Sagauli is the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal. This treaty was signed on 2 December 1815 and was sanctioned on 4 March 1816 between the British India Government and Gurkha chiefs of Nepal following the Anglo-Nepalese War.
The unified Nepal attempted to extend its empire, conquering much of the Sikkim in the east and the regions of Garhwal and Kumaon in the Uttarakhand which brought them in friction with the British who were ruling India at that time.
This led to the Anglo-Nepalese war, in which the British dislodged the Nepalese from the occupied regions and proposed a treaty of peace and friendship which was popularly known as treaty of sagauli.
Some of the important terms of this treaty were as follows -
1.) There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between the East India Company and King of Nepal.
2.) The king of Nepal will renounce all the claims to the lands which were a subject of discussion between the two states before the war and will acknowledge the right of the company to the sovereignty of those lands.
3.) The king of Nepal will surrender to the East India Company in perpetuity all the under mentioned territories first the whole of the lowlands between river Kali and Rapti, second the whole of the lowlands between Rapti and Gunduck except footwall heard, third the whole of lowlands between Gunduck and Koshi in which the authority of the East India Company has been established, fourth the whole of lowlands between rivers mechi and teethi, fifth the whole of territories within the hills eastward of the river mechi.
Indo Nepal -Treaty of Peace and Friendship
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| Signing of Treaty of Peace and Friendship 1950 |
With the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the two countries, India and Nepal initiated their relationship. It was signed at Kathmandu by the last Rana the then P.M. of Nepal Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and Chandreshwar Narayan Singh the then Indian Ambassador to Nepal on 31 July 1950.
This treaty between India and Nepal can be considered as an important link in strengthening the bond between both the countries.
This treaty stated that neither of the government of the two countries, India and Nepal, shall tolerate any threat to the security of other by a foreign aggressor.
And will inform each other of any serious conflict or misunderstanding with any neighbouring state that may cause any rift in the relation between the two nations.
This treaty also gave the people of Nepal, same educational and economic opportunities as Indian citizens get in India, while Indian citizens and businesses got favourable treatment in Nepal as compared to other Nationalities.
This treaty also cancels all the previous Treaties, agreements and engagements entered into on behalf of India between the British government and the government of Nepal.
The Events that Provoked Nepal
This controversy broke out due to two events, the first of which happened around 6 months ago when on November 2019 when the Modi government released a new map of India, in which the region of Kalapani was claimed to be under India, which triggered the Nepal government.
The purpose of this road was to aid the people on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as per claims because above this disputed area lies Tibet, where the Kailash Mansarovar is situated. Before the construction of this road, the yatris had to go to the Kailash Mansarovar via Sikkim, it was a trek of 5 days.
After the construction of this road, they will reach China's border in a car, which will be followed by a mere 2 day trek.
The Nepal government was not happy with the opening of this road as they believed that the Lipulekh pass comes under Nepal, and if India had to construct this road they should have consulted Nepal first and worked on an agreement.
In response to this, the external affairs ministry of India said that this area comes completely under the territory of India and therefore they did not hold a consultation with Nepal. This was not required because they had constructed a road within their own territory.
In the past also, many efforts to resolve this complex border issue have been done by both the sides but no solution has been found yet.
Some media reports and Experts of foreign affairs believe and suggest that China is instigating Nepal in this matter. It also has a lot to do with the present Nepal government which came in power on a strong nationalist wave.
If Indians and people of Nepal can anyway cross the border without any visa or passport and can work and reside in each other's country. So, what is so special about the disputed area?
What is the controversy about? Is it just about the representation on a political map or a country's pride or some kind of insecurity?
Conclusion
No matter what it is about, and who is right and who is not, but the thing that matters the most is the peace and prosperity of the region. Both the countries should at least try to resolve this complex issue with judiciousness in the interest of the region.
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