Though Madheshi leaders are putting various conditions to vote for getting the new map, that includes Nepali territories of Limpiyadhura-Lipulekh-Kalapani (LLK) region of Nepal in it, endorsed through the parliament, here in Tarai Madhesh there is a huge resurgence of public support in favour of the government on this particular issue.

The e-inauguration of Darchula to Lipulekh road by India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on May 8 was a surprising move at a time when Nepal was offering to hold Foreign Secretary level talks to resolve outstanding disputes with India. Earlier, Nepal had sent two diplomatic notes to India protesting the new map published by India on November 2, 2019, and in 2015 when India and China signed an agreement in Beijing to make “Lipulekh pass” a trading route to increase their bilateral trade.

There are only a handful of countries which have close bilateral ties and open border as are existing between Nepal and India. However, the ongoing dispute around Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani along Nepal’s western border with India has aroused passionate discussions and sometimes unfriendly accusations in both India and Nepal. If not resolved amicably, this dispute has the potential to damage the enduring relationship between the two countries.