Nepal PM Balen Shah bats for talks with India, claims shared fault in border row

New Delhi: In a significant statement, Nepal PM Balen Shah on Sunday stated that the Nepal-India border issue will be resolved through diplomatic discussions and went on to claim that even Nepal has encroached on India's land.

The statement was made by Shah on the floor of the House of Representatives.

While responding to a question raised by CPN-UML MP Padma Aryal regarding the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani dispute with India, Shah stated that Nepal has also encroached upon India's land. He said, "You might be surprised to know that not only has India encroached upon Nepal's land, but Nepal has also encroached upon India's land. Both sides will need to sit down and look into this matter."


"There has been talk of holding table top exercise with India on the land issue," Shah said, adding that the matter is a legacy issue since the days of the British colonial days.

The India-Nepal border dispute primarily centres on two key areas -- the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura trijunction in the Himalayas and the Susta region in the southern plains. The core of the disagreement relies on varying interpretations of historical maps and the exact source of the Kali (Mahakali) River, which was designated as the international boundary by the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli.

Meanwhile, Nepal's ruling Rastriya Swantantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top political leaders in New Delhi as he tours India from Monday for five days. Lamichhane, accompanied by his spouse and two party leaders, is paying a visit to India from June 1 to 5 at the invitation of the BJP.