Prime Minister Balen Shah Faces Criticism for Border Remarks

Kathmandu. Criticism has started after Prime Minister Balen Shah made a statement that Nepal has encroached on Indian land. Stakeholders say that it is extremely irresponsible and shameful for a person holding a dignified and responsible position like Prime Minister to say 'Nepal has also encroached on the borders of others' from the rostrum of the parliament. Historical documents, maps, and facts show that Nepal's borders have been encroached upon and the act of encroachment has been done by the neighboring side. However, stakeholders say that it is a serious blow to national interests for a person like the Prime Minister to blame his own country instead of protecting the geographical integrity and sovereignty of his country. Border expert Buddhinarayan Shrestha claimed that there is no truth in the Prime Minister's statement that Nepal has encroached on Indian land. 'I also heard the Prime Minister speak in parliament today,' Shrestha told Ratopati, 'Nepal has not encroached on or occupied India's land.' Shrestha said that the Prime Minister should not understand the cross-holding occupation in the Terai region in that way. 'Occupation should be understood in the sense that people on this side use some land on the other side in the border area, and people on the other side also use land on this side. But that cannot be called land encroachment,' Shrestha said. He gave the example of the situation around the Sirsiya river in Parsa. 'Due to the meandering of the Sirsiya river, there has been occupation of land on the Indian side by Nepal and on the Nepali side by India,' Shrestha said, 'It cannot be called encroachment.' He also said that there was some discussion about occupation when Shankar Das Bairagi was the Foreign Secretary. Similarly, the main opposition party Nepali Congress and Nepal Communist Party (UML) have demanded a clear statement from the government on this matter, demanding that it be removed from the record if spoken without facts. They said that the government should make the truth public on such a serious and sensitive issue and inform the parliament and the Nepali people. Speaking in the House of Representatives meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Balen had said that Nepal would resolve the border dispute with India through diplomatic talks and that Nepal had also encroached on the Indian border. 'After becoming Prime Minister, I learned that not only India but Nepal has also encroached on land in many places in India,' said Prime Minister Shah. During that time, he also said that the government is committed to resolving border disputes through diplomatic means. Not only that, Prime Minister Shah said that Britain has also been corresponded with regarding the Nepal-India border dispute. He said, 'We have talked not only to India and China regarding this, but also to the British government. Our belief is that England should also be concerned about this problem that has been ongoing since they left British India.' Congress Chief Whip Basana Thapa and UML MPs Bhumika Limbu Subba and Yagya Bahadur Bogati, among others, sought clarity on Prime Minister Shah's statement, expressing objections. 'Honorable Prime Minister said that Nepal has also encroached on India's land.' 'Please inform us quickly about where it has been encroached upon,' said Congress MP Thapa. 'This is a serious matter. If what the Prime Minister said about the border between the two countries is true, it should be recorded. If it is not true, it should be removed from the record.' Similarly, UML MP Bhumika Limbu Subba said that the Prime Minister's statement that Nepal has encroached on Indian land during Sunday's question-and-answer session has created serious confusion regarding the Nepal-India border issue. 'Therefore, which location, area, or border segment is related to the Indian land mentioned by the Prime Minister? What are the factual basis and evidence for that statement?' MP Subba asked. She also urged to clarify whether this is the official stance of the Government of Nepal or just a personal statement. 'If there is any disputed issue related to the border, what diplomatic initiatives is the government taking to resolve it? I draw the attention of the Government of Nepal to provide clear and official information to the parliament and the Nepali people on this sensitive issue,' Subba called for attention. CPN (UML) MP Yuvraj Dulal said that he was not aware of Nepal encroaching on the border and demanded that it be removed from the record. 'There is no mention of Nepal encroaching on the border in our national knowledge. Therefore, I demand that the statement be removed from the record as it is also a matter of diplomatic sensitivity,' Dulal demanded. Another CPN (UML) MP Ramesh Mall said that Prime Minister Shah's statement had harmed the fundamental principles of the country's national integrity and it could not be considered normal. 'What the responsible person said from the parliament is not a normal matter,' Mall said. 'It seems like he considered it as something discussed in informal conversations. But this matter is very serious.' Mall said that he would not believe that the head of government or head of state of any country would say on stage that we have encroached on the land of such and such a country. 'The Prime Minister's statement should be corrected and removed from the record,' Mall demanded. UML Publicity Department Chief Niraj Acharya said that the baseless statement of a person holding a dignified and responsible position like the Prime Minister insulted the security personnel working day and night for border security, the experts collecting historical evidence, and the sentiments of the general patriotic Nepali people. 'It is the height of national surrenderism that such an immature and misleading opinion comes from the head of state on a sensitive issue like national independence and borders,' Acharya said. 'The government should immediately correct this statement, apologize to the parliament and the general public, and make a clear statement in favor of the country's interests. Any compromise or ambiguity on the issue of nationality is absolutely unacceptable.'