Nepal Parliament approves new map that includes land India claims

The upper house of Nepal’s parliament  passed a constitutional amendment to give legal backing to a new map that depicts Kalapani region as part of Nepalese territory, a move that could exacerbate a border row with India.

The National Assembly or upper house unanimously voted to endorse the new political map issued last month that shows the disputed areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal.

Nepal shows three Indian regions in its territory

• India had recently termed this ‘artificially demarcated’ expansion of Nepal as unacceptable.
• Six months after India published its new map in November 2019, Nepal released its political and administrative map only last month.
• Nepal in its new map has shown three places of strategically important frontier of Indian territory, Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territory.

Bill passed unanimously

• To give national recognition to this map, the Constitution Amendment Bill was unanimously passed by the High House of Nepali Parliament on 18 June 2020. National Assembly President Ganesh Timilasina said that all 57 members present in the house voted in favor of this bill.
• All 258 MPs present in the lower house of Nepal voted in favor of the amendment bill.
• There was not a single vote against the proposal. After the passage of the bill from the lower house of the Nepali Parliament, the spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Shrivastava had said that we have clarified our stand in this matter.
• The Nepalese cabinet has approved this new map only on 18 May 2020.

Disputed border between Nepal and India

• The Lipulekh Pass is a remote western location near Kalapani, the disputed border between Nepal and India. Both India and Nepal call Kalapani an integral part of their border. India calls it part of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, while Nepal describes it as part of Dharchula district.

What is the Kalapani controversy?

• Kalapani is an area of ​​about 35 square kilometers and is a part of Pithoragarh district.
• On the other hand, the Nepal government claims that this area falls in its Darchula district. Since the war between India and China in the year 1962, this area is occupied by the ITBP personnel of India.
• Kalapani area on the triangular border of India-China-Nepal is strategically important.
• The Government of Nepal claims that according to the Sugauli Treaty signed between it and the then East India Company in 1816, Kalapani is its area.

UPSC