When the relationship between India and Nepal appeared to be improving Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday once again raised the issue of territorial dispute with India.
In an address, he said, “Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh which are located east of the Mahakali River belong to Nepal as per the Sugauli Treaty. We will get them back through diplomatic talks with India. Our foreign minister will visit India on January 14 during which his discussion will be centered on the issue of the map that we have published with the inclusion of the three territories.”
The statement came just four days ahead of the talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries. Last year Mr. Oli had raised a similar issue as his government had come out with a new map which showed Kalapani and other disputed territories as part of Nepal.
According to My Republica newspaper, Oli said that the recent high-level visits from India and China were goodwill ones. “They came here to convey their good wishes. There is nothing to worry much about that.”
It needs to be mentioned that in November last year Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla made a two-day trip to Kathmandu on the invitation of his Nepali counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal. After his visit it appeared that Nepal had changed its stand over the border issue. Shringla is a Nepali speaking diplomat.
Incidentally, a few weeks after his visit Oli dissolved the parliament amidst opposition from a section of the Communist Party of Nepal and the Nepali Congress.
