Why is Nepal furious over India’s inauguration of a new link road to Kailash Mansarovar? Discuss
India has planned to shorten the travel time for pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar by a new link road from India to China but that has been strongly objected by Nepal.
In a strongly worded statement, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said India’s decision to build the road through territory at the Lipulekh pass is a breach of an agreement reached between the two countries and it passes through the Nepali territory.
As per Nepal, this unilateral act runs against the understanding reached between the two countries, referring to the agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and (then) Nepal PM Sushil Koirala in 2014 to work out the “outstanding boundary issues” on Kalapani (where Lipulekh lies) and Susta.
In its response, the Ministry of External Affairs said the road going through Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district lies completely within the territory of India.
As per the MEA, the road follows the pre-existing route used by the pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Under the present project, the same road has been made pliable for the ease and convenience of pilgrims, locals and traders.
The MEA has also said that the boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is ongoing, and that India is committed to resolving outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue and in the spirit of our close and friendly bilateral relations with Nepal.
The road that starts from Dharchula in Uttarakhand and runs 80 km to the Lipulekh pass was built by the Border Roads Organisation.
