KATHMANDU, Dec 6: Chairman of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that Nepal should first make an attempt to resolve the issue of the Kalapani border through political and diplomatic negotiations. 

Speaking at a press conference convened by the Press Organization-Nepal in the capital on Thursday, Chairman Dahal argued that internationalizing the issue of the Kalapani border before trying to find a solution through political and diplomatic negotiations could complicate matters. He, however, clarified that he did not mean to say the issue should not be internationalized or that this is not even necessary. 

Dahal said that the government has sent a letter to the Indian government as per the suggestion of an all-party meeting and that the government is currently awaiting an Indian response. 

Nepal earlier requested India through diplomatic channels for convening a meeting of a foreign secretaries-led mechanism in view of the mounting public pressure after the newly-released political map of India included Kalapani and other territories belonging to Nepal as per the Sugauli Treaty. The treaty defines the boundary between Nepal and India. 

Ambassador of Nepal to India Nilamber Acharya, during a meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Vijaya Gokhale on November 5, requested the Indian side to activate the foreign secretary-level mechanism that the two countries agreed to form during the Joint Commission meeting held in 2014 to resolve issues concerning Kalapani and other territories. 

The meeting has fallen uncertain as India is yet to respond to Nepal’s request.

Separately, Nepal in its diplomatic note sent to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on November 21 also sought to open a diplomatic channel to resolve the issue, while expressing concern over the inclusion of Nepali territories in the Indian political map.

Dahal further said Nepal has already clarified its position on Kalapani. “Limpiyadhura is the origin of the Mahakali River; the Mahakali is the border river. There is no confusion about it,” he said.

On a separate matter, Dahal said that he decided to cancel his planned visit to China as it was not considered appropriate to leave the country when the prime minister was undergoing medical treatment. A team of senior NCP leaders led by Dahal was scheduled to leave for China on December 10 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

 
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