Buddhi Narayan Shrestha

President Bidya Devi Bhandari, while presenting the policies and programmes of the Government of Nepal at the Federal Parliament on 16 May had reiterated that a new political map will be issued by the government incorporating Limpiyadhura. It was said ‘Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura are ours and appropriate diplomatic measures will be adopted to resolve existing issues.’
In accordance with the address by the President, meeting of the Council of Ministers held on May 18, 2020 decided to publish new ‘Map of Nepal’ which includes Lipulek Kalapani and Limpiyadhura area within Nepali territory. Accordingly, Minister for Land Management released officially revised map entitled ‘Political and Administrative Map of Nepal’ on 20 May. It was compelled to decide, after India inaugurated the Kailash Manasarovar 80 km long link road to China on 8 May, which passes through Nepali territory in Kalapani and Lipulek.

India had previously released new ‘Political Map of India’ on November 2, 2019 depicting the river Kali and Lipulek-Kalapani-Limpiyadura area on their territory. India amended this map on November 8, deleting the word ‘Kali.’ In the meantime, India published Hindi and Sanskrit version maps entitled ‘Bharatka Rajneetik Manchitra and Bharatasya Rajnaitik Manchitram’ on February 28, 2020.

On the map, Nepal’s Lipulek-Kalapani-Limpiyadhura area was enclosed within India’s frontier. This had led to raids on 372 sq km of Nepalese territory. Nepal protested to these maps and served diplomatic note to India mentioning, Kalapani area belongs to Nepal as the new map has encroached the Nepali territory.

It had created an alarm and sensation to the Nepali community. Protests erupted not only in the capital city Kathmandu, but also in various parts of Nepal. As fire in the bush, Kalapani border dispute reached all nooks and corners of the nation. Civil society leaders, political leaders, student wings of political parties, intellectuals, experts, scholars and media persons held discussion; raised objections and protested the new Indian map which included Nepal’s land in India.

Following the publication of the new Indian map, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called an all-party meeting on 9 November at his residence in Baluwatar to discuss Indian political map that depicts Nepal’s Kalapani area as their territory. The meeting was attended also by opposition leaders, former prime ministers and ex-foreign ministers, scholars and border experts, among others. It was concluded that the Kalapani region is Nepali territory and any such border-related issue should be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding on the basis of historic documents and proofs.

It was unanimously decided to raise the issue with the government of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told media ‘the new map issued in November 2019 accurately depicts its sovereign territory and it has in no manner revised its boundary with Nepal. The boundaries with Nepal remain unchanged in the new map.’ However, Nepal rejected India’s claim over these territories.

The maps published from both the sides depicted 372 sq km Kalapani area within their own territory caused the overlapping of two maps of the same area. The international arena is confused, which of the maps is authentic and which one is falsified. Researchers and study makers understand that revised map of Nepal has been published as a counter to the new Political Map of India, published unilaterally by India on 2 November 2019, encroaching cartographically the border of Nepal. It has been regarded as a ‘Battle of Maps’ between Nepal and India.

The Nepalese territory of Lipulek-Kalapani-Limpiyadhura was forcibly occupied by Indian forces, after India was defeated by China during India-China border war October/November 1962. This area has been located strategically very sensitive. Now it has become Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage route through Lipulek. It is a significant area of importance to expand trade and commerce between India and China via Lipulek. At the same time, it is the shortest link route from Indian capital Delhi to Lhasa of China via Taklakot and Shigatse. After Lhasa, one can travel with an express way to Beijing and various parts of China and other countries.

Previous battle of maps:

This is not the first time occurred ‘battle of maps’ between two countries. A meeting of the joint boundary task force between India and Nepal was held in Kathmandu from 2 to 7 July 1997 on the Kalapani issue. At that meeting, Nepal presented a map published by British Survey of India in 1856 AD and proposed to be adopted as official map to resolve the Kalapani issue.
As a counter to Nepali side, India pleaded that 1856 map has not been prepared on the scientific basis. It has no control points. So this map could not be adopted as the basic material. Instead, India forwarded a map of 1879 and insisted that it should be taken as the official map. But Nepal did not accept India’s proposal. Nepal put forth the encountered version that- ‘map prepared in 1879 is a ‘baseless’ material and it cannot be accepted as official map.

On that map, Kalapani area of Nepal has been shown cartographically inside India completely as if it belongs to India. According to the Sugauli Treaty, Nepal’s western border must be the river, but not the watershed range of the hillock, as drawn on this map. Therefore, Nepal was not in a position to accept that map as basis or official material.’ As a consequence, it created a battle of maps between Nepal and India.

Since then ‘battle of map’ was started between Nepal and India regarding Kalapani border issue.

Last ‘battle of maps’ was started when India published a new map on November 2, 2019 encroaching Nepali territory of Kalapani area occupied by India since 1962. And Nepal also published a new map on May 20, 2020 depicting the whole area on Nepal side to encounter the Indian map. So Indian and Nepali maps overlapped on the Lipulek-Kalapani-Limpiyadhura area which consists of about 372 sq. km.

At the end:

The river Kali is the western boundary of Nepal according to the spirit of article-5 of Sugauli Treaty-1816. On the basis of historical maps, related supporting documents of the then period, hydrological principle and precedent; the river originating from Limpiyadhura would be determined as the principal river. Limpiyadhura-Kalapani-Lipulek area, located east of the river Kali/Kalee/Mahakali must be considered to be Nepal’s territory. But India has not yet agreed on it.

Whatever it may be, the battle of maps on Lipulek-Kalapani-Limpiyadhura issue has been going on time and often. But map battle should never be turned into armed warfare between two countries, However, Indian Army Chief General Manoj M Naravane on May 15, 2020 said ‘Lipulekh Pass is not a dispute and Nepal has raised the matter at the behest of someone else and that is very much possibility’ might have indicated China.

The confusion to the international arena that has created by overlapping maps of the same area should be eliminated by adopting the norms, standards and specification enunciated by the United Nations Cartographic (Spatial Informatics) Division. Now the battle of maps between two countries should be reconciled and settled through the diplomatic measures.

Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh has expressed on 30 March that border issues including Lipulek will be resolved through dialogue. In this juncture, the most important thing is to fix the date of dialogue between two countries. It has to settle the dispute through discussions on the basis of historical maps and documents in the spirit of mutual understanding, friendliness and good neighborhood that Nepal and India have a very long time relation not only in the political and diplomatic level, but also people to people relation.
The author is Former Leader, Nepal-India Technical Level Joint Boundary Committee