KATHMANDU: Nepal’s documents in the United Nations (UN) reveal that the land that India has encroached upon in Lipu Lekh and the Kalapani area belongs to Nepal.
Although Nepal had applied for membership of the UN in 1949, it had to wait for 6 more years to get the membership of this world organization. Nepal got the membership of the UN on December 14, 1955.
Although the UN provisions require a country seeking its membership to submit the map denoting its territory, Nepal had not submitted the map then. However, Nepal had offered the details about its land and territory offering map-like details.
The documents have mentioned the Kali river as the western border and the Mechi river as the eastern border.
The highly-placed officials in the UN say that as the documents mention the Kali and the Mechi as the border rivers in the western and the eastern side respectively, there is nothing to fuss about the border.
Nepal had applied to the UN during the Rana regime.
Director-General Bijaya Shumsher Rana had assigned Major Padam Bahadur Khatri as the government’s representative to facilitate the process.
Then Rana Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher had forwarded the process ahead, and Nepal had got membership in 1955.
Provided the dispute is taken to the international court of Justice, such documents work as key testimonials to settle the case. International laws about the river borders regard the main tributary as the boundary between the nations.
Hence, in the case of Lipu Lekh and the Kalapani dispute, Nepal is sure to get justice, observers say.
If India goes for the previous treaty, Article 5 of the Sugauli Treaty mentions Nepal has lost Kumau and Gadhwal in the battle, which means the area lying east of the Kali river belongs to Nepal.
A nation applying for UN membership should submit the documents denoting its authentic history, border, population, foreign relationship, established date, bilateral relationship with other countries.
The government has sent diplomatic note claiming Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipu Lekh quite frequently, however, India has been deterring the process claiming the land is disputed one and should be resolved from bilateral efforts.
Not only this, but it has also opened the link trade route to China without taking consent from the Nepal government.
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