Balendra Shah, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has taken a bold decision to place a map of Greater Nepal in his office. After India placed a map of ‘Akhand Bharat’ in its new parliament building including the territory of Nepal, Shah countered it.
According to metropolitan sources, a new map was placed in the mayor’s office two to three days ago. Shah is currently in Bangalore, India for his wife’s treatment. He instructed to keep this map before going to India. As soon as he returns, he plans to take a picture on the background of the new map and make it public.
Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s new Parliament building. With the publication of the map of ‘Akhand Bharat’ inside this parliament building, there is a strong protest in Nepal. This map has been criticized in Nepal because it includes Nepal’s Lumbini and Kapilvastu. The Government of Nepal has not given any formal response to India on this issue. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda did not make the map of ‘Akhand Bharat’ a high-level discussion topic during his recent visit to India.
Recently, in the meeting of the House of Representatives, the National Independent Party MP Virajbhakta Shrestha suggested that a map of Greater Nepal should be placed in the Parliament building of Nepal as well.
What is Greater Nepal?
At one time, the territory of Nepal was spread from Teesta in the east to Sutlej in the west. However, after the war with the British, Nepal lost a large part of its land. On March 4, 1816, the Sugauli Treaty was signed between Nepal and the East India Company, which reduced the territory of Nepal to Mechi-Mahakali.
After the withdrawal of the British from India, Nepal also had to get back its lost land automatically. However, since Nepal could not take a strong initiative at that time, the territories from Mechi to Teesta and from Mahakali to Sutlej were permanently annexed to India. Voices are still being raised that India should return those lands to Nepal. Nationalist activist Phanindra Nepal has been campaigning for the achievement of Greater Nepal for a long time.
With India placing the map of ‘Akhand Bharat’, the map of Greater Nepal is being discussed in Nepal. The young generation is also showing interest in this. The map made from East Tista to West Kangra is the map of Greater Nepal.
