India-Nepal Relationship

What is the issue?

Where is Kalapani?

It is a patch of land near the India-Nepal border.
It is so close to the Lipulekh Pass on the India-China border.
[Lipulekh pass is one of the approved points for border trade and the route for the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra in Tibet]

What is the Kalapani dispute?

India inherited the boundary with Nepal, established between Nepal and the East India Company in the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.
The territory to the east of the Kali River was decided as Nepal.
The dispute relates to the origin of Kali.
Near Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, there is a confluence of streams coming from Kalapani (north-east) and Limpiyadhura (north-west).
During British period - The early British survey maps identified the north-west stream, Kuti Yangti, from Limpiyadhura as the origin.
But after 1857, it changed the alignment to Lipu Gad, and in 1879 to Pankha Gad, the north-east streams.
Thus, the British survey maps defined the origin as just below Kalapani.
Nepal accepted the change and India inherited this boundary in 1947.
After Indian independence - The Maoist revolution in China in 1949, followed by the takeover of Tibet, created deep misgivings in Nepal.

India was invited to set up 18 border posts along the Nepal-Tibet border.
The westernmost post was at Tinkar Pass, about 6 km east of Lipulekh.
By 1969, India had withdrawn its border posts from Nepali territory.
The base camp for Lipulekh remained at Kalapani.
In their respective maps, both countries showed Kalapani as the origin of Kali river and as part of their territory.
The issue of the origin of Kali river was first raised in 1997.
Boundary Committee - The matter was referred to the Joint Technical Level Boundary Committee that had been set up in 1981.
In 2008, the Committee clarified 98% of the boundary, leaving behind the unresolved issues of Kalapani and Susta (in the Terai).
It was subsequently agreed that the matter would be discussed at the Foreign Secretary level.
Meanwhile, the project to convert the 80-km track from Ghatibagar to Lipulekh into a road began in 2009 without any objections from Nepal.

What is the issue with the maps?

India’s map - India issued a political map (8^th edition) on November 2, 2019, to reflect the change in the status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Nepal registered a protest though the map in no way had changed the boundary between India and Nepal.
However, on November 8, the ninth edition was issued.
The delineation remained identical but the name Kali river had been deleted.
This led to stronger protests, with Nepal invoking Foreign Secretary-level talks to resolve issues.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did a virtual inauguration of the 80-km road on May 8, 2020, which re-erupted the Kalapani controversy.
This re-eruption provided Mr. Oli with a political lifeline.
Nepal’s map - Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli is using the Nepali nationalism card, the flip side of which is anti-Indianism.
A new map of Nepal was notified on May 20, which was based on the older British survey.
This map reflects Kali river originating from Limpiyadhura in the north-west of Garbyang.
The new alignment adds 335 sq km to Nepali territory.

What is the reality?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often spoken of the “neighbourhood first” policy.
He started with a highly successful visit to Nepal in August 2014.
But the relationship took a nosedive in 2015 when India first got blamed for interfering in the Constitution-drafting in Nepal.
It reinforced the notion that Nepali nationalism and anti-Indianism were two sides of the same coin that Mr. Oli exploited successfully.
The reality is that India has ignored the changing political narrative in Nepal for far too long.
India remained content that its interests were safeguarded by quiet diplomacy even when Nepali leaders adopted anti-Indian postures.
For too long India has invoked a “special relationship”, based on shared culture, language and religion, to anchor its ties with Nepal.
Today, this term carries a negative connotation - that of a paternalistic India that is often insensitive.

What is needed?

The complexity underlying India-Nepal issues cannot be solved by unilateral map-making exercises.
Political maturity is needed to find creative solutions that can be mutually acceptable.
The urgent need is to pause the rhetoric on territorial nationalism.
A quiet dialogue is needed, where both sides need to display sensitivity as they explore the terms of a reset of the “special relationship”.
A normal relationship where India can be a generous partner will be a better foundation for “neighbourhood first” in the 21st century.

Source: The Hindu