Sovereignty Issue Over Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura
Context:
Recently, Nepal expressed formal concerns to both India and China regarding the upcoming Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, which is planned to route through the Kalapani-Limpiyadhura-Lipulekh region.
Nepal reiterated that the region is part of its sovereign territory.
In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs rejected these claims, stating that Nepal's stance on the Lipulekh Pass is not based on "historical facts".
Geographical and Strategic Significance:
The disputed region is a 335-370 square kilometer high-altitude wedge forming a tri-junction between Nepal's far west, India's Uttarakhand state (Pithoragarh district), and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
It serves as a crucial military surveillance point, a gateway for trans-Himalayan trade, and the primary pilgrimage trail to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet.
The Treaty of Sugauli (1816):
The Boundary Line:
Following the Anglo-Nepalese War, the Treaty of Sugauli was signed between Nepal and the British East India Company.
Under Article V, the River Kali was established as Nepal's western boundary.
Crucially, neither maps nor detailed surveys were attached to the original treaty, creating a historical ambiguity regarding the exact geographical origin of the Kali River.
Divergent Sovereign Claims:
Nepal's Position:
Relying on early 19th-century British maps and hydrological principles (which dictate the main stream is the longest course with the greatest flow), Nepal claims the true Kali River originates far northwest at Limpiyadhura.
In 2020, Nepal passed a constitutional amendment to officially incorporate these areas into its national map and emblem.
India's Position:
India asserts that the Kali River originates at a smaller stream (Pankhagad) near Kalapani, or even further east at Lipulekh.
India relies on its long-standing de facto administrative control over the area and later colonial maps from the late 19th century onwards to place the region within Uttarakhand.
Recent Flashpoints:
The dispute has been repeatedly inflamed by India-China bilateral actions.
In 2015, and again in August 2025, India and China agreed to expand border trade via the Lipulekh Pass.
Nepal formally protested these agreements, arguing that conducting trade on disputed sovereign territory without its consultation violates the spirit of the Sugauli Treaty.