Nepal releases new map, old friendship with India could turn sour

Not too many days ago, Nepal was thanking India profusely for providing medical supplies to fight Covid-19 pandemic.

But two events in as many days have put the claims of time-tested friendship between both the countries – dating back to '<em>treta yuga</em>' (around 10,000 years ago) as described by Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister in 2018 – to another complex challenge.

While delivering a speech in Nepali Parliament Tuesday, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli blamed India for the spread of Covid-19 in his country and that "the Indian virus looks more lethal than Chinese and Italian."

"Those who are coming from India through illegal channels are spreading the virus in the country and some local representatives and party leaders are responsible for bringing in people from India without proper testing. It has become very difficult to contain Covid-19 due to the flow of people from outside. Indian virus looks more lethal than Chinese and Italian now. More are getting infected," said Oli to the shock of many watching it in India.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India spread <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronaVirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronaVirus</a>, not Wuhan: Nepal PM KC Sharma Oli said in parliament. His claim, Wuhan virus was soft, Indian virus is hard and reason of community spreading. What a joke! <a href="https://t.co/1qjekEWNGF">pic.twitter.com/1qjekEWNGF</a></p>
— Rajib Bagchi (@Rajibbagchi6) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rajibbagchi6/status/1263042063316078593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Then came another shocker.

The ongoing rift between India and Nepal over a new road built by the Indian Army escalated to another level with Oli's comment in Parliament.

Oli said that the Kalapani-Limpiadhura-Lipulek area in the trijunction of Nepal-India and China (Tibet) will be brought back within Nepal’s map at any cost.

Last Friday, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane had said that Nepal never had any objection over India constructing a road till the Lipulekh pass in Uttrakahand to ensure smooth ride of pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar.

Naravane had also said that if Nepal is raising the issue, it is doing so at 'someone else's behest.'

"We have made a road west of the Kali river. Nepal has accepted that its territory is to the east of Kali river. There has never been an issue about the tri-junction," Naravane had said.

<img class="wp-image-2236 size-full" src="https://indianarrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/737b03a6e7c3a3d6d05aff711574bfd2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="853" /> General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of Indian Army

But Oli told Parliament that Nepal will reclaim the area from India through political and diplomatic efforts.

"India has made it a disputed area by keeping its Army there. Nepalis were blocked from going there after India stationed its Army. India has deployed its troops in Kalapani since 1962 and our rulers in the past hesitated to raise the issue. We will reclaim and get them back," he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today <a href="https://twitter.com/PM_Nepal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PM_Nepal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kpsharmaoli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kpsharmaoli</a> said in his Parliament that Lipulek and Limpiyadhura is their territory and they will bring it back.</p>
Will <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> assure the nation that he is committed to protecting the country's borders?<a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CitiznMukherjee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CitiznMukherjee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/YashwantSinha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YashwantSinha</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZjAY5k1tED">pic.twitter.com/ZjAY5k1tED</a>

— अभिषेक दत्त चतुर्वेदी ???????? (@CHATURVEDI989) <a href="https://twitter.com/CHATURVEDI989/status/1262682073753456641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On Wednesday, Padma Kumari Aryal, Nepal's minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, unveiled a new map of the country, adding 335 km to its territory including Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh.

"The government move to publish a new political map was prompted by India’s May 8 announcement that it had opened a road link via Lipulekh to Kailash Mansarovar in the Tibetan Autonomous Region," reported <em>The Kathmandu Post</em>.
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Government unveils new political map including Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura inside Nepal borders</p>
The new map was endorsed by the Cabinet on Monday.<a href="https://t.co/2gv9OeWpia">https://t.co/2gv9OeWpia</a>

— The Kathmandu Post (@kathmandupost) <a href="https://twitter.com/kathmandupost/status/1263033488103534592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"The map will come into use immediately. The areas including Gunji, Navi and Kuti near Kalapani, which had been left out in earlier maps, are also included in the new map. Hope India will take Nepal’s decision [of publishing a new map] in a positive way," the newspaper quoted Aryal as saying.

However, a lot of damage has already been done it seems.

Not just Naravane but many in India believe that the present Nepali government is toeing China's line.

"The biggest mistake of India was to let communists take over Nepal. It happened under Congress. Communists from India, who answer more to China, were officially involved in the process. Now reap the bitter harvest," tweeted columnist and Delhi University Professor Abhinav Prakash.
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The biggest mistake of India was to let communists take over Nepal. It happened under Congress. Communists from India, who answer more to China, were officially involved in the process. Now reap the bitter harvest. <a href="https://t.co/NlopAZsbcP">https://t.co/NlopAZsbcP</a></p>
— Abhinav Prakash (@Abhina_Prakash) <a href="https://twitter.com/Abhina_Prakash/status/1262996594737262593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"How does Nepal's pro-China communist regime expect to make a difference by including three Indian-controlled areas in a new national map? Why did Nepal’s official maps in the past not show these claimed areas as Nepalese territory? Why fuel passions now," questioned Brahma Chellaney, a strategic thinker, author and commentator.
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How does Nepal's pro-China communist regime expect to make a difference by including three Indian-controlled areas in a new national map? Why did Nepal’s official maps in the past not show these claimed areas as Nepalese territory? Why fuel passions now? <a href="https://t.co/JgRtnNdONB">https://t.co/JgRtnNdONB</a></p>
— Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chellaney/status/1262744703541248004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Hurt obviously at the latest developments and the growing tensions, India's official reaction is still awaited.

Fighting enemies at various fronts, it will be in the interest of both the nations if the '<em>treta yuga</em>' friendship stays intact, always..