Nepalese geographer claims Kalapani as Nepal’s territory in his new book

International

pti-PTI

Kathmandu, Mar 25: A new book authored by noted Nepalese geographer Buddhi Narayan Shrestha has claimed that the territories including Lipulek, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal. Both India and Nepal claim Kalapani as an integral part of their territory – India as part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district and Nepal as part of Dharchula district.

Speaking at an event to release his book titled ‘Collection of Historical Boundary Maps related to Nepal’ here on Friday, Shrestha claimed that the east of Kali river, including Lipulek, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, belong to Nepal.

As per the Sugauli Treaty signed between Nepal and erstwhile British government in 1816, the territories lying in the east of Kalapani river belonged to Nepal, he claimed. Shrestha said the border dispute between India and Nepal should be resolved through dialogue and if talks cannot resolve the matter, then a third country may be sought for mediation.

The bilateral ties between New Delhi and Kathmandu had come under strain under then Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s government, which came out with a new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as Nepal’s territories.

After Nepal released the map, India reacted sharply, calling it a “unilateral act” and cautioning Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. Shrestha, who had served as the director general of the Survey Department of Nepal, specialises on the border issues of Nepal.

He is currently the managing director of Bhumichitra Mapping Company. He served on the Nepal-India and Nepal-China Joint boundary Committees. He serves on the Board of Nepal’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, as a nominee of the Nepal Government.