‘Encroached territory’: Why India-Nepal border dispute is heating up again

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah has reignited a border dispute with India after claiming in parliament that Nepal has also encroached on Indian territory – a departure from Nepal’s usual stance, which has largely focused on accusing its bigger neighbour of occupying its land.

Speaking on Sunday in his first formal address to the Federal Parliament of Nepal since becoming the country’s youngest prime minister earlier this year, Shah, 35, sparked anger among Nepali lawmakers with his comments.

The long-running dispute between Nepal and India over border territories including Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani has periodically bubbled up over the years. The conflict is a mix of contested history, geography, politics and mapping.

Here is what Shah said, what the border dispute is about, and what this means.

“You will be surprised to know a fact that I have learned recently, only after becoming prime minister: not only has India encroached Nepali territory, but Nepal has also encroached Indian territory in many places,” Shah said during his address to parliament.

He did not elaborate on which parts of India he believed Nepal had encroached on.

“Now both countries should study the facts and sit together as friends and resolve the issue,” the Nepali leader added.

Shah was sworn in as the PM of Nepal on March 27 this year. He was previously the mayor of Kathmandu, winning the seat in 2022 as an independent candidate. He was a controversial figure, launching a crackdown on street vendors that drew criticism from civil society leaders. Before this, he was a musician who used his work to highlight corruption and inequality.