Report in The Kathmandu Post, May 19, 2023
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has made it clear there will be no compromise on national interests—Nepal’s unity, integrity and sovereignty—during his upcoming state visit to India.
Responding to questions by CPN-UML lawmaker Raghuji Pant and Nepali Congress lawmaker Dilendra Badu during the question-answer session in the House of Representatives, Dahal said he wanted to reassure Parliament that there would be no compromise on issues related to the country’s national interests and territorial integrity.
Although Dahal had announced in January that he would visit New Delhi in his first official foreign trip, both countries are still looking for a conducive date for the visit.
“The date of the prime minister’s India visit has been finalised,” said an official at the prime minister’s office, adding that “it might happen around the first week of June. Preparations are going on in full swing on both sides, including for signing of some agreements and memoranda of understanding during the visit.”
Answering a question on the boundary dispute with India, the prime minister said: “We will not let even an inch of our land go to India and we are firm on it. There are boundary disputes between Nepal and India including a major one over Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, which are currently occupied by India. Nepal has been claiming Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as its territories, as per the past treaties and agreements.”
After India included Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura in its political map in 2019, the government objected to India’s move and called for diplomatic and political talks to resolve the dispute. In a tit-for-tat move, the government led by KP Sharma Oli also issued a new political map of Nepal by including the three territories inside Nepal’s border.
Pant also asked whether Dahal would ask India to accept the 2018 report of the Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India relations that had been mandated to suggest a new blueprint for Nepal and India relations in the changed global and regional contexts. The Indian government has so far ignored the report.
“I cannot say before my India visit whether the EPG report will be submitted or not,” said Dahal while responding to a question by UML’s lawmaker Pant. “Whether India will receive the report or not, will be known only after the India visit. Whether we should receive the report or not will be known only after the India visit and after talking to the Indians.”
Pant also asked the prime minister if he would receive the report even if India refused to do so.
“We won’t yield even an inch of our land and don’t want our neighbours’ land. This is our policy and principle on which all our political parties have agreed, as well as our parliament. Accordingly, we will hold talks with India,” said Dahal.
“Our policy and principle is that all issues related to the boundary dispute with neighbours should be resolved through diplomatic talks and the government’s policy is to strengthen and deepen ties with neighbours,” said the prime minister.
The government has adopted a policy of resolving all border-related problems through diplomacy.
“I would like to inform the House that diplomatic initiatives are going on to review various aspects of Nepal-India relations and to make them contemporary,” said Dahal while responding to the question of Congress’ lawmaker, Badu.
Similarly, responding to a question from Chitra Bahadur KC of the Rastriya Janamorcha, Dahal said Nepali prime ministers are not obliged to start their foreign trips from India.
In Nepal, there has almost been a tradition of visiting India first for nearly all newly-elected Nepali prime ministers. However, Dahal broke with the tradition and visited Beijing as soon as he became the prime minister in 2008. After returning from Beijing, where he attended the Beijing Olympics as a state guest, Dahal clarified that his official visit would begin from India.
https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/05/19/i-won-t-compromise-on-national-interests-pm-dahal-says-as-he-plans-to-visit-india-soon
