How Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s Statement on Nepal ‘Encroaching India’s Territory’ Sparked Controversy
Image source, RSS
Published
Reading time: 5 minutes
Opposition members of the House of Representatives have expressed objections to Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) for his remark that “Nepal has also encroached on India’s territory.”
Prime Minister Balen addressed the issue of the Nepal-India border dispute while responding to questions in the House of Representatives meeting on Sunday.
Communist Party of Nepal (UML) MP Padma Aryal had posed questions relating to Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh.
She asked, “Amid the rapid progress in the construction of trade routes under bilateral understanding between India and China, what is the position of the Nepal government?”
The Prime Minister appeared to seek clarification about Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura before responding.
He said the Nepal government had already sent a diplomatic note to the Indian government on the matter and received a response.
“In the reply, both governments agreed to resolve the issue through talks involving historians, surveying experts, and geospatial specialists,” the Prime Minister explained.
“We have also engaged with the British government since the problems stem from the time British India withdrew. Our position is that Britain should also be involved. I want to inform that all matters will be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Prime Minister’s Statement Deemed ‘Controversial’
Arena Rai of the Labor Culture Party raised questions about the long-standing dispute over Kalapani and Limpiyadhura and other problematic areas.
He asked when citizens in those border areas would feel the presence of their own government.
Responding that this issue has been previously addressed, the Prime Minister said, “You may be surprised, but I only learned after becoming Prime Minister that not only India, Nepal has also encroached on India’s land in many places. I just found this out recently, and both countries have studied the matter and found that both sides have encroached. We intend to resolve this as friends.”
The Prime Minister spontaneously answered questions during the House meeting.
Opposition MPs initially objected, stating that the proposal to respond was against parliamentary rules.
After the Q&A session concluded, opposition MPs raised concerns over the response process and some replies.
Vasna Thapa, chief spokesperson for Nepali Congress, said regarding the Prime Minister’s statement, “If Nepal has also encroached on Indian land, then the exact territories must be announced promptly. This is a sensitive and controversial subject. It is inappropriate for the Prime Minister to make such statements on a border dispute without facts. This should be removed from parliamentary records.”
Communist Party MP Ramesh Mall also stated the Prime Minister’s response was not a trivial matter.
He said, “This issue is highly serious. Governments and heads of state from other countries never claim that we have encroached on their land. The parliament must correct this and remove it from the records.”
Prime Minister’s Assurance on Squatter Issues
Image Source, RSS
Regarding the problem of squatters and their eviction from settlements in Kathmandu, the Prime Minister stated: “The Nepal government has protected their lives from risk.”
He committed that the government is dedicated to providing land to squatters, but this process will require some time.
Recalling that the Finance Minister allocated budget to resolve this issue within a year, the Prime Minister said, “We cannot expect to solve what was not done in 35 years within 35 minutes. It will take some time.”
In response to questions about the plight of disadvantaged citizens, Balen revealed that coordinated nationwide programs are underway, working with various districts and local authorities.
He also mentioned arrangements to provide a 10 percent scholarship in private schools operated by Kathmandu Metropolitan City and 10 percent beds for the poor in expensive private hospitals.
The Prime Minister said, “Concepts like socialism and communism exist. The constitution guarantees free education and health, but the government’s budget was not sufficient.”
“Therefore, instead of providing free services to all, our party and government of Nepal are prepared to provide free healthcare and education at least to the underprivileged.”
He also shared that a fund has been established for problem resolution, collecting contributions from both government and cooperative institutions.
On the Generation Z Movement Report
Although the Human Rights Commission’s report on the Generation Z movement has been publicized through media channels, the Prime Minister said the full report has yet to be received at the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Once the report arrives, we will make it public,” he noted, “commissions formed for various incidents in the country will study all these reports.”
Regarding questions on the monkey problem, he described it as a complicated issue and spoke of internationally explored alternatives aside from violent methods.
The Prime Minister also discussed Nepal’s developmental efforts to transition from a less developed to a developing country.
“Our neighbor China has recently moved from a developing to a developed country, but it has not yet reached the peak of development. The government must adopt strategic thinking,” Balen said.
“When we graduate from LDC status, Nepal will enjoy tax exemptions on trade, exports, and investments. We have also temporarily halted exports of various domestically produced goods for two years to promote export-oriented growth.”
He added, “At this time, the country needs financial resources more than confidence, so we are focusing on increasing investments.”
However, Rastriya Prajatantra Party MP Khusbu Oli noted that China is already considered a developed country.
You can also watch this news on the Nepali YouTube channel. To subscribe and view published videos, click here. Our content is also available on Facebook, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Nepali service airs on radio from Monday to Friday at 8:45 PM.