Is India — Nepal Heading Towards A Breakup?
India and Nepal had a cordial relationship, but the recent events might spell doom to it
Nepal government choppers landed on the Nepal India border. Out of the helicopter came 10 Nepal soldiers and rushed into the Nepal check post. The number of checkpoints between India and Nepal had increased by 100 in the last year. India and Nepal had a friendly relationship so much so that citizens of neither of the countries need visas to visit each other countries. The latest developments showcase that India and Nepal’s honeymoon period is over, and Nepal might head for a breakup with India.
Nepal in British India:
Nepal has been an independent country for ages. Even when Britain colonized India, Nepal was allowed to be an independent country. British India’s interests in the tea business with China bought it on a collision course with Nepal. As India and China’s vital routes have to pass through Nepal, Britain wanted it to be under its control. A war broke against the Nepal monarchy with the neighboring kingdoms with the help of British India. At the end of the war, the Kingdom of Nepal surrendered to the East India Company and signed the Treaty of Sugauli. In the settlement, the region west of river Kali went to Nepal. After the agreement was signed Nepal laid claim for the towns of Kuthi, Nabu and Gunji which were to the right of river Kali but was rejected by British India
The Dispute:
Pilgrims from India to the Kailash Mansarovar lake had to walk through a treacherous path along the Indo Nepal border to the Lipulekh pass. India constructed the Kailash Mansarovar road to ease the pilgrim’s journey. The highway passed through the disputed areas of Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh, which India claims to be part of Uttarakhand while Nepal laid claims for it. The river Kali formed the natural boundary between the countries as per the Treaty of Sugauli. The area of Kalapani, where the river Kali tributaries connect, is the area of dispute. As the Kali river changed course during seasons, the border keeps changing. The longest tributary of the Kali river originates from Limpiyadhura, and Nepal claims its region starts from Limpiyadugura. India rejected the claim stating that the river originates from Kalapani, where all its tributaries merge. India cemented its claims by maps of British India, which shows Kalapani as a part of British India. Kalapani was patrolled by the Indian army for many years to monitor intrusions from China.
Political scenario:
Nepal and India government have tried many times to resolve the border issue. It got stalled due to political reasons. For India, the Lipulekh pass at 20000 ft in Kalapani is of strategic importance to monitor China. Nepal has started to construct a road along the Kali river near its border. Many experts claim that the Chinese intervention in Nepal politics is the reason for the recent shift in Nepal’s stand on India. Nepal wants to establish itself as the regional powerhouse between India and China. On the latest twist, Nepal had declared that the Hindu god Rama was born in Nepal.
Nepal and India’s friendship goes back centuries. The cordial relationship between the countries was excellent. The India army chief is an honor army chief of Nepal and vice versa. Talks rather than arms can solve the conflicts between the countries.