Lines on the map

In 2019, India released a reformatted political map that included disputed territories of Kalapani which Nepal also claims to be within its boundary. It unleashed a public uproar in the country and a crossparty consensus in Parliament passed a new map of Nepal including Kalapani from Parliament.

Kalapani has been a contentious topic ever since British India days, and Kathmandu’s seeming disinterest about this remote tip of the country. Twenty years ago this week, our reporter Sharad KC found out for himself when he was stopped and questioned by Indian authorities at a border checkpoint along the east bank of the Mahakali well within Nepali territory.

Excerpt of the report published in issue #213 10 – 16 September 2004:

"Where are you going?" they asked angrily in Hindi … Didn't you see the flag? Why did you cross the checkpoint? Why are you really here? How many Maoists are there on that side? What kind of weapons do they have?"

A uniformed official then accused us of being Maoists and tried to scare us by telling his runner to have blindfolds and red hot iron rods ready at their camp.

Just then another senior-looking fellow in civvies from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police approached and asked us who we were and why we were there. We told him. He pointed to a barren mountain to the east and explained that was the border. He finally let us go, but not before one of his assistants had exposed the film in our camera.Later after comparing maps and talking to officials in Darchula, it was clear that now the Indians don't just regard the east bank of the Mahakali as their territory. They don't even regard the smaller tributary that comes down from Lipu Lekh as the border, and nor even the small stream that feeds into it. What is the de facto 'line of control' where we were stopped is now 600m southeast of the stream on a bluff overlooking the river, which is supposed to be right inside Nepal.

For archived material of Nepali Times of the past 20 years, site search: nepalitimes.com.