India builds road to Lipulek through Nepali land

We are aware of the development: Minister Gyawali

Kathmandu, May 8

India has constructed a road connecting the Lipulek pass, a Nepal-China border point which has long been encroached by the southern neighbour.

Although Nepal and India are trying to settle the issue of the land covering Kalapani area, the latter has developed a road through Nepali land to facilitate its citizens visiting the Mansarovar – a sacred lake in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

The Kalapani area including Limpiyadhura and Lipulek covers about 350 square kilometres.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday inaugurated the link road to Mansarovar.

“The BRO (Border Roads Organisation) achieved road connectivity from Dharchula to Lipulekh (China Border) known as Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra Route,” Singh tweeted Friday afternoon.

He also flagged off a convoy of vehicles from Pithoragarh to Gunji through video conferencing.

The road will be used for strategic movement of the military forces.

According to the Indian Ministry of Defence, the BRO had completed the construction of the strategic road to Lipulek pass providing connectivity to border villages and security forces.

Located at the height of 17,000 feet, Lipulek is a strategic location and the main entry to the sacred Mansarovar. It is near the Tinker Bhanjyang (pass) which is a famous trade route and has high touristic and strategic importance.

India is promoting the view that Lipulek is the trilateral juncture among Nepal, India and China, but historical documents and border experts suggest otherwise.  According to them, the trilateral point is Limpiyadhura, not Lipulek.

The newly-constructed road has replaced the 90 km high-altitude terrain trek route through mountains.

“At present, the travel to Kailash Mansarovar takes around two to three weeks through Sikkim or Nepal routes. Lipulekh route had a trek of 90 km through high altitude terrain and the elderly pilgrims faced a lot of difficulties. Now, the pilgrimage will be carried out using vehicles,” tweeted the defence ministry.

The road starts from Ghatiabagarh at the altitude of 6,000 feet and ends at Lipulek pass.

Although India had been claiming the Nepali territory since early 1950s and there were a couple of bilateral talks on the issue in the past, Nepali government formally asked India to remove the Kalapani area from its map after the latter did so in November 2019.

Nepal has sent a diplomatic note to India regarding the Kalapani encroachment, but the southern neighbour has not responded on it.

Meanwhile, India has not accepted the report of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Nepal-India Relations for more than a year. The EPG was mandated to review the entire relations between the two countries, including the 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said that the ministry was aware of the new developments.

“The attention of the government is drawn to the issue. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will ask the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi to look into the matter and send us the report,” he said to The Rising Nepal.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 9 May 2020.