Nepal Lower House approves redrawn map, India sees red

‘Artificial enlargement of claims’ violates understanding between nations: India

Upping the ante in Nepal’s row with India, the Nepalese House of Representatives on Saturday “unanimously adopted” the Constitution Amendment Bill (CAB) on the new map that shows Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh — territory in India’s Uttarakhand — as part of Nepal.

Nepalese foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali tweeted that this “paves the way for accommodating the updated political-administrative map in the national emblem”.

Soon after that, India on Saturday evening predictably criticised the Nepalese action, saying it was “not tenable” and once again termed the new map as an “artificial enlargement of claims” that is “not based on historical fact or evidence”.

New Delhi, which had first sharply criticised the Nepalese map last month, also said the fresh move violates the understanding between both countries to hold talks on “outstanding boundary issues”.

The 275-member House of Representatives is the Nepalese Parliament’s Lower House where, according to media reports, the CAB was passed with a majority of

258 votes while there was no opposition. A twothird majority of the 275member was reportedly required to pass the Bill.

The map will now need to be endorsed by the Himalayan country’s National Assembly — Upper House — and then approved by the Nepalese President before it can be incorporated into the Nepalese National Emblem. That now looks largely a formality and is set to worsen ties between the two south Asian nations.

Nepal claims that as per the Treaty of Sagauli inked more than two centuries ago between British India and Nepal in 1816 after the AngloNepal War, “all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) River, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal”. All three areas are part of Indian territory and fall in Uttarakhand. The row between India and Nepal was triggered last month after defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km high altitude road from Dharchula to the Lipulekh Pass (both in Uttarakhand) that reduces the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage time.

Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who is seen as close to China, has made the change in the country’s map a matter of prestige for the Himalayan country’s ruling communist leadership.

In its response “on the passing of the Constitutional Amendment Bill revising the Coat of Arms of Nepal by the House of Representatives of Nepal”, New Dehi said, “We have already made our position clear on this matter. This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues.”

India had last month termed the map as “artificial enlargement of (Nepalese) territorial claims (that) will not be accepted by India”. New Delhi had urged Kathmandu “to refrain from such unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

India had also said the Nepalese revised official map “includes parts of Indian territory” and that “this unilateral act is not based on historical facts and evidence” which “is contrary to the bilateral understanding to resolve the outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue”.

Nepal had last month summoned the Indian Ambassador in Kathmandu and issued a “diplomatic note”, conveying Nepal’s protests over the construction of a road by India in the Lipulekh area which Nepal claims as its own. India had made it clear then in a statement that the road fell very much within Indian territory in Uttarakhand.

The Himalayan country had claimed it had “learnt with regret about the ‘inauguration’ by India of the ‘Link Road’ ...” and had claimed it “passes through Nepali territory”.

But New Delhi had then swiftly made its stand clear, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) saying, “The recently inaugurated road section in Pithoragarh district in the State of Uttarakhand lies completely within the territory of India.

The road follows the preexisting route used by the pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra . ... The boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is ongoing. India is committed to resolving outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue and in the spirit of our close and friendly bilateral relations with Nepal.”