Consistent & Unambiguous: Indian Embassy Clears Its Stance Over India-Nepal Border Row

The ruling Nepal Congress said that the border dispute between India and Nepal should be resolved on the basis of the Sugauli Treaty of 1816.

New Delhi: The opposition parties in Nepal have claimed that the Indian government was undertaking construction activities in areas that Nepal included in its map. Responding to the claims, the Indian Embassy on Saturday clarified its stance on the issue saying that India’s position on its boundary with Nepal was well known, consistent, and unambiguous.

The Indian Embassy issued its statement days after Nepal’s main opposition party Communist Party of Nepal -Unified-Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) urged Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to speak up on the boundary issue and clear its position on Lipulekh. 

“The UML unwaveringly believes that construction of roads and other structures should be stopped. The issue should be promptly resolved through dialogue and no structure should be built at the state level until resolution is reached through dialogue,” read the statement issued by UML’s foreign department head Ranjan Bhattarai. 

Responding to media queries over recent reports and statements in Nepal on the question of India-Nepal boundary, the spokesperson of the Indian Embassy said, “The Government of India’s position on the India-Nepal boundary is well known, consistent, and unambiguous. It has been communicated to the Government of Nepal.”

“It is our view that the established inter-governmental mechanisms and channels are most appropriate for communication and dialogue. Mutually agreed boundary issues that are outstanding can always be addressed in the spirit of our close and friendly bilateral relations,” the Embassy added. 

Among other political parties that raised the issue were Bibeksheel Sajha Nepali, the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, and ruling coalition party CPN (Unified Socialist).

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The ruling Nepal Congress on Friday said that India’s move to continue its road construction in Lipulekh was “objectionable.” It reiterated that Kalapani, Limpudhariya, and Lipulekh were part of Nepali territory and urged India to immediately take back troops deployed in the Kalapani region and resolve the border issue with high-level dialogue based on historical facts and evidence. 

It added that the border dispute between India and Nepal should be resolved on the basis of the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. As per Nepali officials, the Sugauli Treaty states that territories the lie to the west of the Mahakali River belong to Nepal.