On Friday, Nepal revealed the issuance of a fresh NPR 100 currency note featuring a map displaying the disputed areas of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani, which have been labeled as “artificial enlargement” and “untenable” by India. The longstanding territorial dispute over these regions between Nepal and India has resulted in a contentious border conflict.
The Nepalese government, led by Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, has decided to print a new map of Nepal on the NPR 100 denomination banknotes. This map will include disputed territories like Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani. Government spokesperson Rekha Sharma announced this decision, stating that the cabinet approved the redesigning of the banknote during meetings held on April 25 and May 2. This move follows Nepal’s publication of a revised map on June 18, 2020, which incorporated these disputed areas by amending the Constitution.
India strongly responded to the new map, labelling it as a “unilateral act” and warning Kathmandu against any “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims. India emphasized that Nepal’s actions went against the agreement made between the two nations to address boundary disputes through dialogue.
The situation was kept in check until India released an updated political map in 2019, which displayed the newly formed Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. In this map, India included Kalapani as part of the Pithoragarh district. As a result, Nepal expressed its strong opposition to New Delhi. After more than six months, Nepal’s upper house of Parliament unanimously approved the Constitution amendment bill, which incorporated the country’s new political map into its national emblem.
The bilateral relations between India and Nepal faced tension when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled an 80-km-long road linking the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand in May 2020. Nepal strongly objected to the road’s inauguration, arguing that it crossed into Nepalese territory. India refuted this assertion, stating that the road is situated entirely within its borders. India has firmly urged Nepal to refrain from any attempts to expand its territorial claims artificially.
In the latter half of 2020, the previously halted bilateral exchanges were re-established through a sequence of high-level visits, signifying New Delhi’s position as Nepal’s primary ally and development collaborator amidst the contentious boundary dispute. The commencement of this renewed engagement took place during the inaugural visit of former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla in November 2020, during which he held discussions with former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Shringla’s visit came after visits made by Indian Army chief Gen. MM Naravane, and a rapid tour by Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Samant Kumar Goel to Kathmandu to improve relations. Additionally, Senior BJP leader and head of the party’s foreign affairs department Vijay Chauthaiwale traveled to Nepal in the beginning of December 2020.
Nepal strongly objected to a recent map released by China which excluded the Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura regions from Nepali territory and instead placed them within Indian territory. The Nepalese government firmly asserts that the 2020 map should be acknowledged and respected by both our neighbouring countries and the global community.
