India says new road to Lipulekh falls within Indian territory, but Nepal claims at least 17km of it lies on its land.
Kathmandu, Nepal – For several weeks, Indian soldiers have been engaged in a standoff with their Chinese counterparts along their disputed border, even as New Delhi is busy planning a strategy to resolve a land dispute with another neighbour, Nepal.
India’s latest diplomatic row with Nepal erupted on May 8 when New Delhi announced the inauguration of a Himalayan road link that passes through the disputed area of Kalapani.
India’s updated political map stirs controversy in Nepal
Under pressure from the opposition, civil society and a vociferous Nepali press, the government of Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli issued a new political map of the country, showing Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura within its borders.
ndia objected, saying the new Nepal map “included parts of the Indian territory”.
The dispute’s origins lay in the November 2019 release of India’s new political map, which showed Kalapani within India. The announcement saw Nepal’s capital Kathmandu rocked by protests, while Oli’s government requested a high-level meeting to resolve the dispute. But India was not forthcoming.
The two neighbours entered a new paradigm of “cartographic war” as anger grew on both sides.
Source: aljazeera.com
Saturday, May 9, 2026
