Nepal has decided to include a map depicting territories disputed with India as its own on new banknotes, prompting a backlash from India.
According to Indian and Nepalese media on the 5th (local time), the Nepalese government announced on the 3rd that it will issue new 100 Nepalese Rupee banknotes featuring a background map that marks Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani?areas with unresolved territorial disputes with India?as part of Nepal's territory. This announcement came after a ministerial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
In response, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told reporters the previous day, "Nepal's actions will not change reality." He added, "We have been discussing border issues through platforms previously established with Nepal, but they have taken unilateral measures during this process."
The three areas currently occupied by India?Lipulekh and others?are located east of the Kali River in western Nepal and border the eastern part of Uttarakhand state in India. Earlier, at the end of 2021, India issued new maps of the federally administered territories of northern Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, depicting Kalapani as part of Uttarakhand state.
About six months later, in May 2020, Nepal published a map integrating Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura as part of its territory. This reportedly expanded Nepal's area from 147,181 km² by 335 km².
India protested, calling Nepal's actions unilateral.
Nepal claims these three areas as its own based on a treaty signed with Britain, which colonized India, in 1816.
While the two countries have demarcated 98% of their 1,880 km-long border, they have yet to reach an agreement on the sections including Lipulekh and the other two areas.
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