Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday lodged a protest with India over the resumption of a religious pilgrimage through the disputed Himalayan pass of Lipulekh.
The move by New Delhi, which announced the pilgrimage’s resumption on Thursday, has escalated a long-standing border dispute. Nepal asserts that the Lipulekh Pass, situated at the tri-junction of the Nepalese, Indian, and Tibetan borders, belongs to its territory under the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli. This treaty was signed with India’s British colonial rulers to define Nepal’s western border.
Why Does Nepal Object to India’s Claims?
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the territories of Limpiadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani are part of Nepal, and the country’s government remains clear and firm in its stance on these areas. The protest was lodged after India announced an agreement with China to resume the pilgrimage through Lipulekh, which had been suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to Nepal’s protest, India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Lipulekh Pass has been used by followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon for the Kailash-Manasarovar pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet since 1954. A ministry spokesperson noted that the use of Lipulekh for pilgrimage «is not a new phenomenon».
What Arguments Does India Present?
India consistently maintains that Nepal’s claims «are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence». India considers «such a unilateral artificial expansion of territorial claims untenable». According to the plan, 500 Hindu pilgrims will travel through the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand and cross the border into China at the Lipulekh Pass, while other pilgrims will use a separate route through the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim.
Source: Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
