KATHMANDU, Nov 21: At a time of huge public uproar across the country after a political map of India released by the Indians included Nepali territories demarcated by the Mahakali River on Nepal’s western border, any mention of the river, which is known as Kali in India, is conspicuously absent in the ninth edition of the political map released by the Survey of India recently. 

The Kali River mentioned in previous political maps released by India serves as Nepal’s natural border with India on the western frontier, as per the Sugauli Treaty reached between Nepal and the East-India Company in 1816. Nepal had to lose huge swathes of territory in the east, south and west under this treaty.

Although the Indian side did not mention the name of the river in its political maps after Indian troops were stationed on Nepali territory in Kalapani after the 1960s, the eighth edition of the Indian political map clearly mentioned the Kali River.

Although various treaties and historical evidence suggest that the origin of the Kali River is the holy Parbatikunda, the Indian side has been claiming otherwise. As per the position maintained by Nepal on the basis of these evidences, various villages including Nawi, Gunji and Gabryang fall on the Nepali side of the border—something India has been denying for long. 

Survey Department officials in Nepal see the latest Indian move to avoid naming the river as meaningful as Nepal has been insisting that territories that lie on the eastern side of the river are Nepali territory as per the relevant treaty and agreements reached in the past.

 
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• Nepali_territories
 
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• natural_border
 
• Sugauli_Treaty
 
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