भारतले नेपाली भूभाग लिपुलेक हुँदै मानसरोबर जाने सडकको उदघाटन गरेकोमा नेपाल सरकारले आपत्ति जनाएको छ ।
आज पराराष्ट्र मन्त्रालयले एक विज्ञप्ती जारी गर्दै नेपालको सीमानामा कुनै पनि गतिविधि नगर्न भारत सरकारलाई आग्रह गरेको हो ।
विज्ञप्तीमा भनिएको छ सुगौंली सन्धी अनुसार काली (महाकाली) नदीको पूर्वमा रहेका लिम्पियाधुरा, लिपुलेक, कालापानी नेपालको भूभाग हुन् । नेपाल सरकारले धेरैपटक भारतलाई यो कुरा भनिसकेको छ । पछिल्लो समय भारतले जारी गरेको नयाँ राजनैतिक नक्शाको जवाफमा २० नोभेम्बर २०१९ मा भारत सरकारलाई सम्बोधन गरिएको कुटनैतिक नोटमा पनि यस कुरालाई दोहोर्याएको थियो ।
सीमामा रहेका विषयमा दुई देशबीच छलफल हुनुपर्ने र ऐतिहासिक सन्धि, कागजात र नक्साको आधारमा सीमा विवाद समाधान गर्नुपर्ने विषयलाई भारतले एकलौटी रुपमा प्रयोग गर्न नपाउने भन्दै सरकारले भारतको पछिल्लो कदम तत्काल फिर्ता गर्न माग गरेको छ ।
सन २०१५ मा भारत र चीनले नेपालको भूमि हुँदै सडक पुर्याउन गरेको सहमतिमा पनि नेपालले त्यतिखेरै असहमति जनाएको भन्दै परराष्ट्र मन्त्रालयले एकपक्षीय रुपमा सिमानामा भएका गतिविधिबारे तत्कालै कुटनीतिक छलफलको पनि माग गरेको छ ।
यस्तो अवस्थामा नेपाल सरकारको विना अनुमति सडक मार्ग खोल्नु नेपालको लागि दुखद् कुरा हो । यस कुराको नेपालले घोर भत्सर्ना गर्दछ ।
भारतले लिपलेक हुँदै मान सरोबर जाने सडकको उदघाटन गरेपछि नेपालमा त्यसको व्यापक विरोध भइरहेको छ । प्राय सबै दल र संघ संगठनहरुले भारतीय कदमको विरोध गरेका छन् । भारतको यो कदमबारे नेपाल सरकारले आफ्नो धारणा सार्वजनिक गर्नुपर्ने माग भइरहेका बेला परराष्ट्र मन्त्रालयले शनिबार विज्ञप्ति जारी गरेको हो ।
यस्तो छ परराष्ट्र मन्त्रालयको प्रेस विज्ञप्ती
Press Release
The Government of Nepal has learnt with regret about the ‘inauguration’ yesterday by India of ‘Link Road’ connecting to Lipu Lekh (Nepal), which passes through Nepali territory.
The Government of Nepal has consistently maintained that as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) River, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal. This was reiterated by the Government of Nepal several times in the past and most recently through a diplomatic note addressed to the Government of India dated 20 November 2019 in response to the new political map issued by the latter.
This unilateral act runs against the understanding reached between the two countries including at the level of Prime Ministers that a solution to boundary issues would be sought through negotiation. The Government of Nepal remains committed to seek diplomatic solution to boundary issues on the basis of the historical treaty, documents, facts and maps in keeping with the spirit of close and friendly ties between the two countries.
In light of this development, the Government of Nepal calls upon the Government of India to refrain from carrying out any activity inside the territory of Nepal.
It may be recalled that the Government of Nepal had expressed its disagreement in 2015 through separate diplomatic notes addressed to the governments of both India and China when the two sides agreed to include Lipu Lekh Pass as a bilateral trade route without Nepal’s consent in the Joint Statement issued on 15 May 2015 during the official visit of the Prime Minister of India to China.
The Government of Nepal reemphasizes that pending boundary issues between the two countries should be resolved through diplomatic means. With this in mind, the Government of Nepal has proposed twice the dates for holding the meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries, as mandated by their leaders, for which the response from the Indian side is still awaited.
It may be noted that the two Governments had constituted the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Nepal-India Relations with a mandate to recommend measures and institutional framework with a view to elevating the existing relations to a new height. The Group has concluded its task and prepared a consensus report. The Government of Nepal is ready to receive the report and believes that it will be in the interest of the two countries to implement its recommendations which will also help address the outstanding issues left by the history, thereby paving the way for ever stronger neighbourly relations.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Singh Durbar,
Kathmandu
09 May 2020
