Nepal has officially introduced new 100 rupee currency notes that feature a controversial map including territories currently administered by India, escalating the ongoing border dispute between the two neighboring nations.
The New Currency Design
The freshly minted banknotes display a map of Nepal that incorporates Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura areas as part of Nepalese territory. This move represents the latest development in a territorial disagreement that has strained diplomatic relations between India and Nepal.
The decision to include these disputed territories on national currency follows a significant political action taken by the previous Nepalese government. In May 2020, the administration led by then Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli unveiled a new political map that explicitly showed these three areas as belonging to Nepal.
Parliamentary Endorsement and Implementation
The controversial map received formal approval from Nepal's Parliament shortly after its introduction, providing the constitutional basis for its inclusion on official documents and national symbols. The transition from political declaration to currency implementation marks a significant escalation in Nepal's approach to asserting its territorial claims.
The issuance of the new 100 rupee notes represents the physical manifestation of Nepal's official position on the border dispute. By placing the map on currency that circulates among citizens and potentially in cross-border trade, Nepal has taken its territorial claims from diplomatic channels to public discourse.
Historical Context and Ongoing Dispute
The territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura have been subject to competing claims between India and Nepal for decades. India maintains administrative control over these areas, which are strategically significant due to their location near the China-India-Nepal tri-junction.
The border dispute gained renewed attention in recent years following India's publication of a new political map after the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir. Nepal objected to this map, claiming it included Nepalese territory, leading to the sequence of events that culminated in the new currency design.
The latest development with the currency notes is likely to further complicate bilateral talks aimed at resolving the boundary issues through diplomatic channels.
