Speaking in a programme to discuss about national sovereignty and defence of the national borders with the local communities, the scholars alleged that India still continues to trespass the border with Nepal further putting the border at risk.[break]
Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, a renowned surveyor and expert on border, said that India has encroached upon 37 thousand hectares of Nepali territory in the Kalapani area, the largest area encroached upon.
The smallest area on the border encroached upon by India was in Ilam which is half a ropani plot at Pashupatinagar, he added.
Shrestha also shared that 14 hectares of Nepali territory has been encroached upon by India at the border in Susta in Nawalparasi district.
He said the border was encroached at 53 places 10 years back and it has reached 71 places till date. "This shows that India has not stopped transgressing the border with Nepal," he commented. Shrestha said his conclusions are based on a study research he carried out which are published in a book.
Scholar Shrestha came down heavily on the successive governments in Nepal for doing nothing to check this transgression of its border by its southern neighbour.
He also shared that the total border area encroached by India was 60 thousand 600 hectares.
Similarly, another scholar Phanindra Nepal alleged government´s negligence in securing its border. He called upon the citizens to be aware of this rampant encroachment on the national frontier and to jointly take action for securing it.
Nepal also exhorted people to join in his campaign of building a greater Nepal. He stressed the need of revising the unequal treaties signed in the past with the then British East India Company, the colonial rulers.
Another scholar, Dr. Gopal Shivakoti Chintan said that even the UCPN (Maoist) that waged a People´s War in the past did nothing as regards protecting the country´s borders.
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