India to continue with developmental projects in Nepal despite map row

India will wait for Nepal to create an atmosphere conducive to talks even as it would continue to go ahead with its various developmental projects across the Himalayan country.

Sources say that Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli hadn't informed his country of India's invite for talks, as recently as before the bill to legitimise Nepal's newly drawn map was tabled in the house of representatives. India had offered foreign secretary-level talks, but Nepal did not respond; and neither did it make this offer public in Kathmandu.

This revelation leads to speculation over whether Nepal was even interested in talks at this stage, or was it more keen to go ahead and pass the new map, under which some 350sqkm territory in the Kalapani region, which has historically been shown as part of India, is now shown as Nepalese territory. This decision of Nepal has prejudged the outcome of possible talks and now it is left Kathmandu to create the right atmosphere. “We will wait for the government of Nepal (to make the move on talks). But our cooperation with them is multifaceted and will continue as before. There are a lot of onging projects,'' said a source.

The Nepalese leaders have long complained that their requests for talks with India on the border issue since November 2019 have remained unanswered. This is despite the Indian leadership holding virtual meets with other countries and even a full-fledged bilateral summit with Australia. It is, however, learnt that India had agreed to a video conference at a mutually convenient date.

Nepal's decision to draw a new map was a knee-jerk reaction to the inauguration of a new road to Kailash Mansarovar from Pithoragarh via Lipulekh. Nepal claimed that the road trespasses through Nepalese sovereign territory. However, sources in India say that the road was under construction for around a decade, and at no point earlier had Nepal raised an objection to it.

In fact, Oli's claims that India is responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in his country is also ill-founded. Of the over eight million Nepalese living in India, only a small percentage chose to return home. Given that the borders were sealed, these people could not have returned without the knowledge and permission of the Nepalese government. Meanwhile, the Nepalese diaspora has returned from several countries, including China, but Oli has chosen to single out India to blame.

India has partnered with Nepal for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and has already sent supplies and medicines worth Rs 4.5 crore to Nepal over the last two months.