NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Tuesday firmly rejected any role for third parties in resolving the India–Nepal boundary dispute, days after Prime Minister Balendra Shah sought the involvement of China and the UK to address the long-standing dispute.“We have established bilateral mechanisms to deal with all aspects of boundary matters. It should be clear to all concerned that there is no role for any third parties in a bilateral matter between India and Nepal,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly media briefing.“We have seen the remarks of the prime minister of Nepal concerning India-Nepal boundary as well as the subsequent statement issued by Nepali foreign ministry on this matter,” Jaiswal added.The MEA’s response came after media queries on the rapper-turned-politician, PM Shah’s remarks in Nepal’s Parliament, where he reportedly suggested that apart from India and China, the UK should also take interest in the dispute.The MEA reiterated that both countries already have established mechanisms to address boundary-related issues and noted that a large portion of the border has already been settled.“While close to 98% of the India-Nepali boundary has been demarcated, there are some unresolved segments. The shifting of the Gandak River has resulted in this,” Jaiswal said.“In addition, there are cases of cross-border occupation and encroachment of No-Man’s land in demarcated segments of the boundary which are currently being mapped jointly,” he added.
How the controversy erupted?
The controversy erupted after Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen Shah, told Nepal’s Parliament that discussions on border issues were being held not only with India but also with China and the United Kingdom.“We have spoken not only with India and China, but also with the UK govt. Our view is that the UK should also take an interest, as the issue dates back to the period when British India left the region,” Shah was quoted as saying by Kathmandu Post.The Nepal PM further stated that he came to know that “not only had India encroached on Nepal’s land, but Nepal had also encroached on India’s land in multiple places”. He added, “Both sides need to sit down and look into the matter,” and said Nepal had already raised the issue with India.Shah also said that, according to discussions, “the response (by India) states that both govts will form teams comprising historians, surveyors and experts familiar with the territory and seek a resolution through table talks.”
The India-Nepal border row
The border dispute gained fresh attention after Nepal objected to India’s decision to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, a route Kathmandu claims as its territory. Kathmandu had raised the issue with both India and China.India strongly rejected Nepal’s claims, stating that the route has been used for decades.“Lipulekh Pass has been a long standing route for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra since 1954 and the Yatra through this route has been going on for decades. This is not a new development,” Jaiswal had said last month responding to media queries regarding comments made by the foreign ministry of Nepal.“As regards territorial claims, India has consistently maintained that such claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence. Such unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable,” he said.“India remains open to a constructive interaction with Nepal on all issues in the bilateral relationship, including on resolving agreed outstanding boundary issues through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.Meanwhile, Nepal foreign ministry said that Shah’s comments regarding Nepal’s “encroaching” on Indian territory were related to “boundary pillars, no-man’s land (dashgaja), and cross-border land usage”.He added that based on technical studies, there are areas where land used by Nepal may fall on the Indian side and vice versa, and stressed that Nepal remains committed to resolving issues through diplomatic dialogue based on historical treaties and maps.The remarks triggered strong political reactions within Nepal, with several parties criticising PM Shah’s statement about mutual encroachment. The controversy escalated to the Parliament, where both Houses were adjourned on Tuesday after opposition lawmakers disrupted proceedings over the issue.The border row comes at a time as both sides were reportedly working on scheduling a visit by foreign secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu. However, no final dates have been confirmed.Also read: Nepal, India encroaching on each other’s land, UK must step in: PM Balen Shah
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