Nepal has announced the issuance of a new Rs 100 currency note featuring a map that includes the Indian territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani, a move contested by India.
During a meeting chaired by Nepali Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda, the council of ministers decided to incorporate these disputed territories into Nepal’s new map, government spokesperson Rekha Sharma informed the media during a briefing on Friday.
Sharma, who also serves as the minister for communication, information, and technology, stated that the decision followed a proposal from the Nepal Rastra Bank to update the map on the Rs 100 banknotes. The redesign, featuring the updated map, received approval during meetings held on April 25 and May 2.
“The government has authorized the Nepal Rastra Bank to replace the current map with the updated version on the currency note,” Sharma said in a telephonic conversation with ANI.
Background on the dispute:
Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura were included in India’s November 2019 map. Tensions between New Delhi and Kathmandu heightened after Nepal issued a political map in May 2020, incorporating the same territories.
Diplomatic relations faced further strain when Nepal objected to India’s inauguration of a road linking Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh on May 8, 2020.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded to Nepal’s objection, asserting that the road, passing through Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, falls entirely within Indian territory.
Does Nepal have a claim on the territories?
Nepal asserts its claim based on the Sugauli Treaty of 1816, which delineated the boundary line following the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–16. According to this treaty, all territories east of the Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh, belong to Nepal.
India, however, contends that the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal annulled the Sugauli Treaty. Nepal argues that treaties like the 1923 Nepal–Britain Treaty of Friendship reaffirmed its sovereignty during the British rule era.