Kalapani territory

See Kalapani jail for the Cellular jail of the Indian freedom movement called Kalapani (Hindi: कालापानी)

Kalapani (Hindi/Nepali: कालापानी) is a disputed territory between India and Nepal administered however as part of Pithoragarh district in the Uttarakhand state of India. The origin of Mahakali River (Sharda River in Indian) it is situated on the Kailash Manasarovar route, at an altitude of 3600 meters. It is said that the Great Sage Vyasa meditated at this place, giving the region its name - Vyasa valley, locally called ""Byans Valley"" (Nepali: ब्याँस उपत्यका) . A pool by the temple of the Goddess Kali is considered to by some to be the source of the Kali River. A verdant valley covered with Pine, Bhojpatra and Juniper trees, it offers stunning views of some of the lesser known peaks like Om Parvat in the Central Himalayas. Lipulekh Pass leading into Tibet is 17 kilometers from Kalapani.

Although claimed by Nepal as part of Darchula District,[1][2] Kalapani is controlled by India's Indo-Tibetan border security forces [2] since the 1962 border war with China. Nepal claims that the river to the west of Kalapani is main Kali, hence it belongs to Nepal. But India claims that ridgeline to the east of Kalapani is the border, hence the Kalapani area belongs to India. The Kalapani area borders the Nepalese zone of Mahakali and the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Sugauli Treaty signed by Nepal and British India in 1816 locates the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India and makes no mention of ridgelines.[2] Subsequent maps drawn by British surveyors show the source of the boundary river at different places. This discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims. The Kalapani River runs through an area that includes a disputed area of about 400 km² [1] around the source of the river although the exact size of the disputed area varies from source to source.[3]

What is Kalapani dispute?

Kalapani, the origin of river Sharda (situated in the Mansarovar route) is located at an altitude of 3,600 M, currently administered under the Pithoragarh District of India in Uttaranchal. India has held Kalapani in control since 1962, when the Indo-Tibetan Border Security Forces occupied the region in 1962 during the Indo-China War.

Claims: India claims ridge line to the east of Kalapani as the boundary and has maintained the claim since 1962.

Nepal on the other hand maintains its position as per the Sugauli Treaty signed between the British Indian authorities and Nepal in 1816, which locates the Kali River as the western boundary of Nepal without any mention of the ridge line.

The two nations have reproduced maps claiming the territory as their own. The disputed area covers around 400 km2.

Current status: During 1940s, Nepal witnessed constant interference from British India in its internal matters. The Indians built dams and claimed territories all the time. Due to the weak position of the Nepalese government, not much was achieved. Nepal has engaged India in dialogues.

Other (minor) disputes: Susta (14,500 hectares, 145 km2), Mechi, Pashupatinagar, Tanakpur, Sandakpur and Hile Thori. Overall, Nepal claims 37,000 hectares (370 km2) of disputed land, excluding Kalapani.

References

  1. 1 2 "Field Listing - Disputes - international". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  2. 1 2 3 "Defining Himalayan borders an uphill battle". thefreelibrary.com. 2000-01-03. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  3. ↑ "Long and unsolved Indo-Nepal border dispute" (PDF). Rivers are used as boundary markers between Nepal and India for 595 Km of the border. Mechi in the East, Mahakali in the West and Narayani in the Susta area are used as boundary markers. Rivers are not very reliable as boundary markers because they tend to change course especially when they pass through plain lands such as in the case of Narayani river. The problem is further complicated because of the lack of old maps and documents.

Further reading

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