Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli has vowed to bring back the encroached land.
"They should take back the foreign army from our land," PM Oli stated addressing a unification convention of National Youth Association Nepal in Kathmandu on Sunday. "We will bring back our land. Many have said the map should be corrected. This government will bring back our land and not just correct the map. The government is capable of bringing back our land."
He claimed that the government will not allow encroachment of land in Lipu Lekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. "This government will not allow encroachment of even an inch of our land. Nepalis do not need the land of others as well," he stressed.
He added that the government wishes to resolve the border dispute through dialogue. "We wish there is no tension with the neighbors. The current government is not lacking in capacity to hold dialogue. It can stand and fight for national interests."
He pointed that the issue of nationalism and borders is not new. "India has not kept its army at Kalapani now. It did so decades ago. The borders have not been encroached now even though efforts are made to make it seem as if it has been done now."
He also thanked the political parties and organization for coming together on the issue of nationalism.
The inclusion of Lipu Lekh and Kalapani of Nepal in the new political map published by India has been widely condemned with the ruling and opposition parties alike protesting the Indian act. The all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on November 9 decided to initiate formal dialogue with India about Kalapani and Lipu Lekh.
The government has already stated that Nepal does not accept the map issued unilaterally by India. "The Nepal government is clear that Kalapani area is part of Nepal," the Foreign Ministry said issuing a statement on November 6. "It is clear that outstanding border issues between the two countries should be concluded with bilateral consensus, and any decision taken unilaterally will not be acceptable for Nepal government."
The ministry stressed that border disputes between the two friendly neighbors should be resolved through diplomatic channel on the basis of historic documents and evidence.
Government Spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Baskota the next day elaborated on the historic evidence pointing that Nepal conducted a census in the area in 2018 BS and has historical evidence proving Nepal collected tax from the surrounding areas in the past. "That shows that the land was in Nepal's control in the past for one cannot go to another country and conduct census and establish revenue offices," he argued.
The Indian government, meanwhile, has said it is committed to finding a solution to border disputes with Nepal through dialogue.
Responding to a question about the outrage against Indian in Nepal over inclusion of Lipu Lekh and Kalapani of Nepal in the new political map published by India and the Indian government's response to the statement issued by the Nepali Foreign Ministry on November 6 during the weekly media briefing the next day, Spokesperson at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar claimed that the new map does not change the Indian borders with Nepal in any way.
"Our map accurately depicts the sovereign territory of India. The new map has in no manner revised our boundaries with Nepal," he stated. "The boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is ongoing under the existing mechanism. We reiterate our commitment to find a solution through dialogue in the spirit of close and friendly bilateral relationship."
He also hinted that the current uproar in Nepal may have been stirred by some vested interests and called for a need to guard against such interests. "I think this is very important to note, that both sides should guard against vested interests who are out there to create some differences between the two countries."
