Nepal renews territorial claim over Lipulekh, seeks dialogue with India

Nepal on Monday renewed its territorial claim over Lipulekh while advocating dialogue with India to resolve the issue, a day after New Delhi firmly dismissed Kathmandu’s stance on the region.

India on Sunday firmly rejected Nepal’s objection to the upcoming Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the long-established Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, dismissing Kathmandu’s territorial claims over the region as an “unilateral artificial enlargement” that New Delhi finds “untenable”.

New Delhi’s sharp reaction came hours after the Nepal foreign ministry issued a statement, objecting to preparations by India and China for the annual pilgrimage via Lipulekh Pass, claiming the region belongs to it.

“Nepal doesn’t intend to enlarge its boundary; the territory belongs to Nepal, nd the government has a clear view about this and is committed to its stance,” the Nepal government spokesperson, Sasmit Pokharel, said while talking to the media.

“The issue needs to be resolved through collaboration and diplomatic dialogue between the two countries,” said Pokharel, who is also the Minister for Education, Science and Technology.

He said that the Foreign Ministry has already notified India regarding the matter through a formal letter.

The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region holds religious significance for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists.

The yatra resumed last year after a gap of nearly five years as part of efforts to normalise relations between India and China.

On April 30, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi announced that the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is set to take place from June to August this year via two routes—Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim.