Nepal-India ties: Expectations and reality

It is imperative that the two sort out their problems to reduce other geo-political tensions.

The much-hyped Sixth Joint Commission Meeting held recently in New Delhi has unravelled some indications in the present context of Nepal-India relations. First, the meeting was significant in normalising relations that had stalled since the map dispute came to the fore following the publication of their respective maps by both India and Nepal. Both countries’ maps claim Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as their territories. The road inauguration by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh last year provoked the Nepali side to come up with a new map that included the territory east of the Kali River as per Article 5 of the 1816 Sugauli Treaty. Making it the main agenda for the joint meeting, Nepal wanted to engage India in fully addressing this issue despite the southern neighbour's ‘stated position’ on the disputed territory. It seemed that the Nepali side raised the issue at the meeting as well as during one-on-one talks with the Indian minister of external affairs, but the Indian side avoided the subject maintaining that it would be sent to the appropriate committee set up for addressing specific issues.