Lipulekh
Why it Matters?
India and China decided to resume border trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, sparking protests from Nepal, which claims the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura region. Nepal termed the move “unexpected and unacceptable” but maintained dialogue with India.
What You Should Know?
Lipulekh Pass is a high-altitude mountain pass located in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, near the India-China-Nepal tri-junction.
The pass lies at an elevation of about 5,000 meters in the Kumaon Himalayas.
It connects Uttarakhand in India with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Lipulekh Pass is one of the routes used by pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet.
It also serves as an important point for India-China border trade.
Nepal claims the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura region as part of its sovereign territory.
Nepal argues that under the Treaty of Sugauli (1816), signed with the British East India Company, the boundary between Nepal and India was fixed along the Kali River.
Treaty of Sugauli, 1816
The Treaty of Sugauli was signed on 2 December 1815 and ratified on 4 March 1816 between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Nepal.
It was signed after the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816), also known as the Gurkha War, in which Nepal was defeated.
The treaty significantly reduced Nepal’s territorial extent and marked the beginning of British political influence in Nepal.