India on Tuesday firmly ruled out any role for third parties in resolving the India-Nepal boundary dispute, responding to recent remarks by Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who suggested that China and the United Kingdom should also take interest in the long-standing issue.
Addressing the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s position that the matter should be resolved through existing bilateral mechanisms.
“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,” Jaiswal said.
“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,” he added.
The MEA’s response came after 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.
India emphasized that nearly 98 per cent of the India-Nepal border has already been demarcated and that only a few segments remain unresolved.
“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 Began:
The issue gained attention after Shah informed Parliament that Nepal had been discussing border concerns not only with India and China but also with the UK government.
“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 a leading Nepali media.
Shah also claimed that border concerns existed on both sides.
“I 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 said.”Both sides need to sit down and look into the matter,” he added, noting that Nepal had already raised the issue with India.
According to Shah, ongoing discussions indicated that “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.”
Border Dispute and Lipulekh Issue:
The India-Nepal border dispute recently resurfaced after Nepal objected to India’s decision to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, an area claimed by Kathmandu.
India rejected Nepal’s objections, stating that the route has historically been used for the pilgrimage.
“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.
“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’s Foreign Ministry clarified that Shah’s remarks regarding Nepal’s alleged encroachment on Indian territory referred to “boundary pillars, no-man’s land (dashgaja), and cross-border land usage.”
The ministry said technical studies had identified areas where land currently used by Nepal may fall on the Indian side and vice versa, while reaffirming Kathmandu’s commitment to resolving all outstanding issues through diplomatic dialogue based on historical treaties and maps.
Shah’s remarks triggered criticism from several political parties in Nepal and sparked protests in Parliament. The controversy escalated on Tuesday, leading to disruptions by opposition lawmakers and the adjournment of both Houses.
The latest border row comes as India and Nepal were reportedly working on scheduling a visit by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu, although no dates have been officially confirmed.
(Image source: Wikipedia)
