Border issue should be resolved through tactful dialogue-Yadav

Kathmandu - Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) chair Upendra Yadav seconded the 'Constitution of Nepal (2nd Amendment) Bill 2077 BS' noting that the border issue between Nepal and India should be resolved through skillful dialogue. Yadav said this while taking part on clause-wise deliberation over the bill presented in today's meeting of the House of Representatives to include the new map of the country in the Schedule of the constitution.

However, he expressed worry for no efforts to resolve the pressing border issue when the task of demarcation was finalized in all the areas excluding Mahakali and Susta. Noting that Nepal had agreed to give up its claim in the Kali west part as per the Article 5 of the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, he said it was mistake to flatly enshrine in the preamble of the Treaty that most of the territory of the Mahakali would be the border.

Asserting that the issue of source of the Mahakali river was still not clear, he said, "The issue was serious who was in power when the earlier map of Nepal up to Limpiyiadhura was lost". The JSP chair also demanded clarity in regard to another agreement believably signed in 1965 in the context when China and India signed a memorandum of understanding and agreement since 1954 onwards and India had encroached upon Nepali territory and constructed various structures.

He also expressed concern over ignoring the representation of Madhesi community in the group the government formed to collect evidence on the contentious border issue.