Kalapani-Lipulekh Dispute: Why is Nepal Silent Amid Neighbors' Trade Agreement?

March 25, Kathmandu. Even as reports surface that India is preparing to conduct trade with China via the Nepali territory of Lipulekh, the Government of Nepal has yet to release a clear official stance on the matter. 

Concerns have escalated in diplomatic circles following news that Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri initiated correspondence to reinstate trade through the Lipulekh Pass. Nepal has consistently maintained that Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura are its integral territories according to the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, and has even issued a new map reflecting this.

Experts, including former Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and former Ambassador Dinesh Bhattarai, have emphasized that the government should not remain silent on sensitive border issues and must immediately present its position to both neighboring countries through diplomatic dialogue. While Nepal protested the 2015 agreement between India and China to make Lipulekh a trade hub, experts believe the government's recent delay could harm national interests. 

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have stated they are looking into the matter, while some ministers in the current government have suggested leaving the issue to a government with a new mandate.