KATHMANDU: Actor Rajesh Hamal has said that commonly used terms in Nepal’s border discourse such as cross-border encroachment and state-sponsored territorial encroachment refer to fundamentally different issues.
In a Facebook post, Hamal made the remarks amid ongoing public debate on border issues and national sovereignty, including discussions involving Prime Minsiter Balendra Shah.
Hamal noted that due to the open border between Nepal and India, people of both countries have maintained social, economic, and cultural relations for centuries.
He argued that border disputes arising from changing river courses, missing or damaged boundary pillars, settlement expansion, and agricultural activities are generally local and administrative in nature. Such issues, he said, should be resolved through dialogue, joint surveys, and bilateral cooperation.
However, he distinguished these from what he called state-sponsored territorial encroachment, describing it as situations where a state actively asserts control over disputed areas by building roads, setting up administrative structures, deploying security forces, and enforcing governance mechanisms.
He cited Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura as examples of such cases.
Hamal further said that the global political environment is becoming increasingly unstable and stressed that national leadership requires maturity, experience, strong decision-making ability, and long-term vision.
He warned that the absence of such qualities in leadership could lead to serious challenges for the nation.
His remarks come amid renewed debate on border issues and leadership accountability in Nepal, where public figures’ statements on sovereignty and governance continue to draw attention.
Hamal also emphasized that all border issues should not be viewed through a single lens, urging a clear distinction between local-level disputes and state-level geopolitical actions.
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