KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has urged the government to convene an all-party and all-stakeholder meeting to forge a common national stance on Lipulekh, a territory claimed by Nepal but occupied by India.
His call came after India rejected Nepal’s claim over the tri-junction area of Lipulekh. Writing on social platform X, Sharma stressed that the issue transcends party lines and requires a unified national voice.
“Lipulekh belongs to Nepal. We must clearly oppose the recent actions of both neighbors, India and China,” he wrote. “The government, parliament, political parties and the entire nation must stand on a single vision and commitment when it comes to questions of sovereignty and nationalism. Let us move forward with solidarity through six concrete steps.”
Outlining his proposal, Sharma suggested: convening an all-party meeting under government leadership; adopting a shared position and commitment through that meeting; reaffirming Nepal’s “new map” unanimously endorsed by parliament in 2020; issuing a renewed diplomatic note to India and China recalling Nepal’s earlier objection to their 2015 agreement on Lipulekh; engaging both neighbors with historical evidence while raising the matter during the Prime Minister’s upcoming foreign visits; and finally, pushing for the long-delayed submission and implementation of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) report on Nepal-India ties as a framework for resolving outstanding issues.
Nepal on Wednesday lodged a formal objection after India and China announced their decision to reopen Lipulekh as a trade route. India responded by dismissing Nepal’s claim.
The dispute dates back to May 2015, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese officials agreed to use the route for bilateral trade. Nepal had protested at the time with diplomatic notes to both countries.
Tensions flared again in 2020 when India expanded road construction through the disputed territory. In response, Nepal issued an updated political map incorporating Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani, areas it considers integral parts of its territory.
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