PM Balen Shah’s ‘Nepal encroached India too’ remark triggers backlash at home

Shah was addressing Parliament for the first time since becoming the Himalayan country’s youngest Prime Minister earlier this year.

While acknowledging that the border dispute involving Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani remains a sore point in bilateral ties, he struck a conciliatory note, saying both countries should seek the help of historians, surveyors and experts to resolve the issue.

He told lawmakers that Kathmandu has also taken up the matter with China and the United Kingdom, the latter due to its colonial legacy in the region.

“You will be surprised to know a fact that I have learnt recently, only after becoming Prime Minister. India has not only encroached Nepali territory, but Nepal has also encroached Indian territory in many places,” the 35-year-old leader said.

“Now both countries should study the facts and sit together as friends and resolve the issue,” he added.

NEPAL FOREIGN MINISTRY CLARIFIES

However, hours later, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry clarified that Prime Minister Shah’s comments regarding Nepal “encroaching” Indian territory referred to no-man’s land and instances of cross-border occupation between the two countries.

The ministry said there are possibilities that land being used by people on the Indian side may fall within Nepalese territory, and vice versa. “What the Prime Minister said about Indian land lying on the Nepali side is related to cross-border occupation,” the statement added.

It further said that technical teams and border mechanisms of both countries are actively working on the construction and repair of boundary pillars, as well as the collection of data related to Dasgaja areas and long-standing cross-border occupation.

SHAH FACES OPPOSITION HEAT

Shah’s remarks on Nepal allegedly encroaching Indian territory triggered immediate political controversy in Kathmandu.

Opposition lawmakers, including Basana Thapa of the Nepali Congress and Ramesh Malla of the Nepali Communist Party, objected to his comments and demanded they be expunged from the parliamentary record. They said the Prime Minister should either provide evidence or withdraw the statement. Former Nepal Foreign Minister Pradip Gyawali also reportedly sought an apology.

A prominent Nepal-India border expert and geographer also pushed back. Buddhi Narayan Shrestha said Nepal has never encroached on Indian territory, noting that in some regions, farmers from both sides have used each other’s land due to cross-border movement and missing boundary pillars.

NEPAL DIPLOMATS PUSH BACK

Former Nepalese Ambassador to India Nilambara Acharya said Shah had “no information” about Nepalese encroachment of Indian territory, adding that around 97 per cent of border issues between the two countries have already been resolved.

Overlapping land use exists in certain areas due to missing border pillars, but there is no official record of Nepal encroaching Indian territory, he told a Nepali media outlet.

Another former ambassador, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, echoed the assessment.

“India has also not raised this issue on record. So far we have conducted studies, but this matter has never surfaced in official discussions,” he told a Nepali news portal, adding that the context of the Prime Minister’s statement remained unclear.

KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA ROW

The statement comes weeks after Nepal formally objected to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh, sending diplomatic protests to both India and China.

“The Government of Nepal remains clear and firm that, as per the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani are integral parts of Nepal,” Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

India rejected the objection, terming Nepal’s claims a “unilateral artificial enlargement” and calling them untenable.

Nepal’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said the country remains committed to resolving the border issue through diplomatic channels.

THE BORDER DISPUTE

Nepal and India have a longstanding boundary dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, with both sides claiming the areas. India maintains these territories are part of Uttarakhand and has said the issue should be resolved through bilateral dialogue.

The three locations lie near the tri-junction of India, China and Nepal.

The dispute, which had simmered for years, came to a head in June 2021 when the KP Sharma Oli-led government released a new political map showing all three territories as part of Nepal.

India rejected the move, calling it a “unilateral cartographic assertion”, and urged Nepal to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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