Nepal warns India not to build a road in its area, claims three areas; Know the controversy

The border dispute between India and Nepal is once again in the headlines. Nepal has issued a warning to India regarding the announcement of lengthening of India's road in Lipulekh, Uttarakhand, asking it to stop immediately. Nepal is describing the Lipulekh located in Uttarakhand as its territory. Spread over 338 square kilometers on the border of India, Nepal, and China, this area is bigger than Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat.

In this region bordering India, Nepal, and China, there is a valley consisting of Himalayan rivers, which is the origin of Kali or Mahakali or Sharda river flowing in Nepal and India. This area is also called Kalapani.

There is also a Lipulekh pass in this area. There is another pass at some distance towards the north-west from here which is called Limpiyadhura Pass.

India-Nepal border was determined by two rivers

The boundary between India and Nepal was determined through the Kali River in the Sugauli Agreement between the British and the Gorkha king of Nepal in 1816.

The western and eastern boundaries of Nepal adjoining the northern border of India have been determined by two rivers. Kali river in the west and Mechi river in the east. That is, from west to east, Nepal is separated from India by two different rivers.

There is a dispute between India and Nepal over the origin of the Kali river

According to the Sugauli agreement, the western region of the Kali river was considered as the territory of India, while the area falling to the east of the river became Nepal.

Being a hilly river, two streams of the Kali river flow in the area. After some distance, it joins together to form a stream.

India considers the eastern stream to be the origin of the Kali River. On the other hand, Nepal considers the western stream as the originating stream, and on this basis, both the countries claim their respective areas of Kalapani. This triangle-shaped area covers an area of ​​338 square kilometers.

The boundary with India on the western border of Nepal was determined by the Kali river. This means that the western region of the Kali river is Hindustan, the eastern region in Nepal.

There has been a dispute between the two countries regarding the origin of the Kali River, that is, from where it first emerges.

According to Nepal, the east of the Kali River should start from the origin of the river. According to him the origin of the river is in the hills near Limpiyadhura.

Nepal claims that when the Kali river starts from Limpiyadhura, the entire area below it belongs to it. Lipulekh and Kalapani come in the area below Limpiyadhura, that is, Nepal lays its claim on these three.

On the other hand, India says that the origin of the river starts from Kalapani, so the border starts from Kalapani.

Meaning Kalapani and its western parts, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh are its territories. India's argument is also based on the 1816 treaty of Nepal by the British.

One reason for this dispute is that every year there is some change in the course of the river, so there is a problem in determining the exact boundary.

Mansarovar Yatra passes through Lipulekh pass, monitoring of Chinese army is also easy

Kalapani, located in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, is a strategically important tri-junction between India-Nepal-China.

From Kalapani, India can very easily keep an eye on the Chinese army. India had deployed the army here for the first time in the 1962 war. Because of the importance of the area, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are stationed here these days.

Pilgrims going to Mansarovar from India pass through the Lipulekh pass in this area.

India closed the Lipulekh pass in 1962

After the Chinese attack in 1962, India closed the Lipulekh pass.

It was reopened in 2015 to facilitate trade and Mansarovar Yatra with China.

In May 2020, India had inaugurated a new 80 km long road from Pithoragarh to Lipulekh Pass to facilitate the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which Nepal had expressed displeasure about.

China's hand behind provoking Nepal

There was no dispute regarding this area until about 100 years after the treaty with the British. Even in 1962, India had even deployed its army in this area to stop the Chinese invasion. Indian Army is still stationed in many parts of this area.

In 1990, as soon as Nepal moved from monarchy to democracy, the voices of protest started rising in this area.

This controversy deepened in 2015 when Communist leader KP Oli became the Prime Minister of Nepal. Oli grew closer to China than Nepal's traditional friend India.

In return, China poured billions of dollars into various projects in Nepal, but the real intention behind China's doing this was to incite Nepal, which had been close to India for centuries, against India.

Last year, the country's Chief of Army Staff MM Naravane had said that Nepal is doing this under the pretext of someone else. Naravane was pointing towards China.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also said in Lipulekh after Nepal objected to road construction by India that Nepal has been misled on this issue.