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Precious little headway achieved by either side
KATHMANDU, AUG 21 -
Three years into the completion of 98 percent of “strip maps” of the Nepal-India boundary, the two sides are yet to set up a Boundary Working Group (BWG) to sort out outstanding boundary issues.
Nepal wants all border issues sorted out before signing the strip maps, while India believes that “scientific and rational management of the boundary would require a contemporary frame of reference, which can be provided by the strip maps.”
The Nepali side claims that there are outstanding border issues, minor and major, at 58 points and only after their resolution should Nepal sign the maps. The last meeting of the Joint Technical Committee on the boundary, held in 2007 in New Delhi, had recommended the two sides set up a permanent BWG to find common ground on the issues—Susta and Kalapani being the major ones. It had also called on the two sides to deal with regular boundary issues, like conducting meetings, getting rid of errors in strip maps and repair of pillars. On the recommendation of the Survey Generals of both the countries, Nepal had prepared a Terms of Reference (TOR) of the BWG in 2008 and forwarded it to India.
“While commenting on the recommendations, the Indian side strongly urged us to sign the strip map first, though it did not object to the idea of TOR,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
“During the political level talks, Nepal has clearly conveyed to India that there are outstanding issues to be sorted out before the strip maps are signed,” the official added.
Asked to comment on the BWG, Spokesperson at the Indian Embassy Apoorva Srivastava said, “The Boundary Working Group was conceived as a mechanism to scientifically manage the India-Nepal boundary. However, scientific and rational management of boundary would require a contemporary frame of reference, which can be provided by the agreed strip maps.”
There is division in the political establishment here on whether to sign the maps before or after sorting out the border issues.
“There is no bilateral mechanism with India to look into various border issues,” said a government official. Officials say the lack of political will has hampered the resolution of outstanding issues.
“These strip maps have been initialled by the Surveyor Generals from India and Nepal and are awaiting signatures at the plenipotentiary level. The Government of India has requested the Government of Nepal on several occasions to expedite the signing of the strip maps at the plenipotentiary level,” Srivastav told the Post.
Posted on: 2010-08-22 08:57
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