A Useful Treatise on Nepal-India Border Issue

Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai

Professor Pitamber Sharma, an established expert on geography and noted intellectual endowed with a multi-dimensional brain with deeper studies of state structures including federal setup and inclusive politics that Nepal has endeavoured to embark upon after the promulgation of the seventh constitution of the country, has edited a valuable book on the most pertinent area of border disputes between Nepal and India. Dr Sharma is also a former National Planning Commission vice-chairman and had a longer stint with ICIMOD.

The book, with an impressive cover, quality print and paper and an assortment of all relevant maps and cartographical details of relevance in connection with both bilateral disputes and international examples, is brought out in a slightly modified imperial octavo version with a size of 8.5x11 inches.

The impressive work includes besides an introduction and overview by the learned editor, eight succinctly comprehensive articles on issues that can be quite useful for border negotiations that have to take place sooner or later as both Nepal and India enjoy ties of all-encompassing nature that the feelings and sentiments of either side can only be ignored to their perils.

Professor of history Dr. Tri Ratna Manandhar has dwelt with the contentious Sugauli Treaty of 1815 that was signed in a difficult period of Nepal's history, taking into account the historical perspective and present context.

At least four articles are devoted to Kali River, an earlier name for Mahakali, as the crux of the problem is a differing interpretation of the origin and the main source of the river as the King of Nepal had renounced sovereignty albeit under duress, over its territories west of Kali River in the said Treaty, itself a product of severe pressure from the John Company or Company Bahadur as the East India Company before its actual dissolution in 1874 was also called. After gaining the Royal Charter as a joint stock entity in 1600, the Company later became a formidable territorial power with its government, army and even foreign office in India.

Two eminent professors of geography, Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar and Dr. Hriday Lal Koirala, have deemed it appropriate to discuss and interpret bilateral boundary issues with a focus on River Kali. Professor Manandhar, who wrote his thesis on the landlocked status of Nepal and its transit rights and assumed such vital portfolios as vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission and even ministership is sadly no more, he deserves heartfelt tributes for his contributions.

Three intellectuals with theoretical knowledge and practical experience of the subject matter, Dr. Dwarika Nath Dhungel, a former Water Resources Secretary, engineer and hydrologist Dr. Jagat Kumar Bhushan and Professor of geography and President of Nepal Geographical Society Dr. Narendra Raj Khanal have jointly contributed an article on Kali River with a detailed perspective of the actual status of Nepal's north-western boundary with India.

In addition, Bhushal has separately dealt with more technical aspects of the hydrological and morphological perspective of the origin of the river. Khanal has come out with still another write-up that seeks to unravel seemingly quite sensitive issues of what he prefers to call maps and cartographic piracy of Kali River during all these years.

Likewise, Bhushal and Dhungel have come up with a separate article on another serious border dispute impinging on the Susta region along the Nepal-India border in the south. Senior geodetic engineer Prabhakar Sharma, with his long innings of study and experience in engineering from construction to consultancy, has summed up the entire spectrum of Nepal-India border disputes critically analysing nature, claims and counterclaims on the matter with his feedback in the form of recommendations.

Dr. Surendra Bhandari, a practising senior advocate with rich academic experience, has rightly filled the yawning gap of scanning border disputes over the main source of Kali River from the standpoint of international law including citation of some leading international cases and perspective of the International Court of Justice.

In his preface, Dr. Pitamber Sharma alleges that whatever political and technical mechanisms that Nepal and India have agreed on for the resolution of border disputes have largely been overshadowed by what he calls inaction at political levels possibly referring to such dilly-dallying tactics on the part of top leaderships of both countries.

He also hailed endeavours of the Map Committee in coming up with a scientifically cogent map with specific reference to disputed borders that got government approval to publish the new political and administrative map of Nepal as of May 18, 2020. Sharma singles out Dhungel for his embryonic idea of the book and persistent follow-up for publication after its conception.

In addition, Professor Sharma has done a wonderful service of contributing a full article that not only gives a comprehensively lucid introduction of entire border disputes between two neighbours but also makes a wonderful synthesis and summing up of what contributors have tried to impress in eight articles covered by the book.

On the debit side, the book lacks perspectives from strategic security and diplomatic angles. India has shown reluctance even to discuss the border dispute, especially of the north-west border of Nepal possibly given its strategic location.

This is further complicated by the 1962 border war between India and China and continuing standoff on various spheres including the border. It is in this context that assessments of border disputes from the standpoints of security experts and practising diplomats with involvement in negotiations would have made the book more useful.

In a nutshell, the book gives a bird's eye view of Nepal-India relations in the context of border disputes and deserves to be read by all from the right perspective. It is a must-read for both those who are directly or indirectly connected with border disputes and general readers. Besides, it is likely to serve as a handbook of Nepal-India relations for all who are interested in Asia. As an old friend, Dr. Pitamber Sharma rightly told me that the book was an attempt to break the psyche of jingoism that prevails in our country and make matter-of-fact presentations without any pretension.

I extend sincere felicitations to Dr Pitamber Sharma and all contributors for their wonderfully scholastic initiative.

(Dr. Bhattarai associated with Rising Nepal in the mid-seventies is a former Foreign Secretary, ambassador and author involved in the study of Nepal’s foreign relations from a historical perspective. He is available at kutniti@gmail.com.)

Book: NEPAL-INDIA BORDER DISPUTES: MAHAKALI AND SUSTA

Author: Pitamber Sharma (ed.)

Kapil Lohani/Bimal Bhaukaji

Publishers: MANDALA BOOK POINT, Kathmandu, 2022

Pages: 192

Price: Rs. 2,595/-

TRN Online

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