By PR Pradhan
Since India unveiled her new political map by including a big portion of Nepali territory from Lipulekh, Limpuiadhara to Kalapani in Darchula District, Nepali political leaders, academicians, students from different political parties and the entire patriotic Nepali citizens have been irritated from the Indian hegemonic attitude.
Everyday demonstrations are taking place in Kathmandu and different parts of the country with protesters saying “Back-off India”.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called an all-party meeting to discuss this problem. The meeting developed a national consensus that Kalapani was and is Nepal’s sovereign territory and urged the government to make diplomatic efforts to return the India encroached territory and to oust Indian border security forces from Nepali territory. For the first time in the history of Nepali politics, all the political parties have become unite and developed a national consensus on the border dispute, which is a good sign. However, the Indians have started to put pressure on the supreme leaders of the political parties here to stop demonstrations organized by the student organizations associated with the concerned political parties.
In the meantime, some media, under the influence of Indians, have raised the issue of Chinese encroachment of Nepali land. Nevertheless, the Chinese Embassy, issuing a statement recently, claimed that there was no encroachment from China on Nepali land.
Also, according to highly placed sources, under the Indians’ sponsorship, anti-China demonstrations were organised in different Tarai districts. These are the unsuccessful attempts of the Indians to shift public anger towards China.
Furthermore, a section of academicians, who wish to serve the Indian interests in Nepal, have started to allege the late King Mahendra had exchanged Kalapani territory with India to save the then panchayat system. However, they have failed to produce any such evidence. This is an attempt to defame the patriotic monarch.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli publicly expressed the commitment that Kalapani is Nepali territory and the Indian security force must return from the Nepali territory. He said that the government will not allow a single inch of land to be encroached by the foreigners.
However, there is doubt on Oli’s real intention as he is reacting against India on public but no any government or diplomatic efforts has been initiated by the government. Whether Oli is claiming to return back Kalapani area just for public consumption, patriotic Nepalis suspect.
So far, due to the strategic significance of the location, the Indians have encroached Nepali sovereign territory. Earlier during the India-China war in 1962, the Indians had one-sidedly occupied Nepali territory. After the war, the Indians deployed its border security force and due to lack of presence of Nepali border security force, the Indians constructed camps in Nepali territory.
Accordingly, in Susta also, the Indians have forcefully encroached 14, 860 hectares of Nepali territory. The fact is that the then King Mahendra with the fear of Indian encroachment of the Nepali territory, had managed migration of Nepali citizens to the area for their settlement and protect Nepali territory. However, along with change of the course of the Gandaki River, Nepali soil went to the Indian side and the Indians started to encroach Nepali territory. To note, the Gandaki River was the border between Nepal and India. After the Indian encroachment, thousands of Nepalis have become landless.
Kalapani and Susta alone are not the territories that the Indians have encroached on. In 23 districts adjoining with India, the Indians have encroached Nepali land. The Indians are found demolishing and shifting border pillars as well.
The Nepal government has to make efforts to end the continuous encroachment of Nepali territory by the Indians through diplomatic channels. If needed, talks have to be initiated at higher levels with the Indians. Furthermore, Nepal-India borders have to be regulated and the free flow of citizens from one country to the other has to be stopped immediately. The government should increase the number of the Armed Police Force to save the border pillars and the government should construct permanent camps with heating system for the Nepali security forces deployed in the remote Northern international borders with China. The Survey Department should keep intact the border pillars along with details about the exact territory of Nepal. Presently, the Google search engine has released a wrong map of the border points between Nepal and India. The government has to immediately ask Google to change the existing map and unveil a new and accurate map of the border points between Nepal and India.
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