Nepal to print new banknotes to claim Indian territories as its own
Nepal's new banknotes will illegally show Indian territories inside Nepal Photograph:( WION )
Story highlights
The controversy surrounding these territories dates back to May 2020 when the Nepalese government, under the leadership of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, unveiled a new political map that included Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura within Nepal's borders.
The controversy surrounding these territories dates back to May 2020 when the Nepalese government, under the leadership of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, unveiled a new political map that included Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura within Nepal's borders.
Nepal's central bank, Nepal Rashtra Bank, is gearing up to issue new banknotes featuring the country's revised map, which includes Indian territories.
The move is expected to be completed within a year, according to a report by Nepalkhabar.com on Tuesday (Sept 3).
Dilliram Pokharel, the joint spokesperson for Nepal Rashtra Bank told the publication that the process of printing the new banknotes has already begun. The revised map features the Indian regions of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal. Pokharel suggested that the production of these banknotes would take between six months to a year to finalise.
News agency Press Trust of India said that their efforts to seek further comments from the bank's primary spokesperson were unsuccessful as they were unavailable for a response.
The decision to print the new banknotes was initially made by Nepal's cabinet on May 3, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.
Also watch | Gravitas | Nepal provokes India with notes featuring Kalapani, Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura | WION
The controversy surrounding these territories dates back to May 2020 when the Nepalese government, under the leadership of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, unveiled a new political map that included Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura within Nepal's borders. This map was subsequently endorsed by Nepal's parliament and replaced the previous version used in all official documents, despite strong objections from India.
India continues to maintain that the regions of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura are part of its territory.
What does it mean?
As Nepal moves forward with its plans to print these new banknotes, the geopolitical implications of this decision are likely to add further strain to the relations between the two neighbouring countries.
The ongoing dispute may complicate the state of Nepal's extensive border with India, spanning over 1,850 kilometers and touching five Indian states: Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The landlocked neighbour surrounded by India and China shares an open border with India.
(With inputs from agencies)
