Nepal’s Balen government has once again strongly raised the dispute related to Lipulek Pass with India and China. This time, by sending formal diplomatic objection letters to both the countries, Kathmandu has made it clear that the proposed Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulek is not acceptable to it.
What is Nepal’s claim?
Nepal claims that this area falls within its sovereign territory. Therefore, any kind of activity here will not be acceptable without his consent. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lokbahadur Paudel Kshetri said in clear words that Nepal has strong objection to the plan to conduct the yatra through the Lipulek route. He says that this is a common stance not just of the government but of the entire country.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal also emphasized that this decision has been taken after discussions with all major political parties, which indicates that there is broad political consensus in Nepal on this issue.
What is the issue of Lipulekh pass?
Actually, the root of this dispute is historical and it is related to the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. Nepal says that according to this treaty, the entire area east of the Mahakali river, which includes Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and Kalapani, comes under its jurisdiction. Kathmandu has been consistently claiming that these areas are part of its official map and no compromise can be made on them.
The statement issued by Nepal also said that it had expressed its objections to India many times in the past regarding road construction, business activities and organizing pilgrimage in this area. Despite this, when the activities seemed to be progressing, this time Nepal took the step of registering a formal protest. The special thing is that this time Nepal has lodged its objection involving not only India but also China in this matter.
What do analysts think?
Analysts believe that this stance of Nepal shows increasing sensitivity regarding its territorial sovereignty. In the coming time, when the activities regarding Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will intensify, then this diplomatic dispute may deepen further. At present, this step of Nepal has made the situation a bit complicated for both New Delhi and Beijing. Now the focus is on how both the countries react to this protest letter and in what direction the solution to this issue goes.
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