Nepal is geologically positioned on the lap of the Himalayas in southern Asia which is bound by the Tibetan autonomous region China to the north India to the East South and West; the country that share, Nepal’s total land of 147,181 square kilometers is in the verge of slack due to the border dispute with India. Kalapani is one of the characters among many border disputes with India.

Kalapani is a borderline dispute territory between India and Nepal situated as part of Vyasa valley ward No.1 of Darchula  district of western Mahakali, Nepal and in tap with Pithoragarh district in the Uttarakhand state of India. India has been preserving a reliant of armed forces at Kalapani since 1960; despite withdrawing other 14 boarder troops from Nepal territory they have been holding their Kalapani till to the date.

The 1816 Sugauli treaty between the British Raj and Nepal provided that the Kali River would mark the western border between India and Nepal. Kalapani is on its east bank. The main sources of River Kali located at Luplek or Lupdhara 6 KM North of Tulasi Newroad i.e lipuKhola (Kali River) the river that flows from Luplek act as the border between Nepal and India. The Sugauli Treaty signed by Nepal and British India in 1816 locates the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India.  

In fact the camps of Indo-Tibetan border security forces are in the Tulsi Newroad; the real Kalapani is sited at Luplek or Lupdhara 6 KM North of Tulasi Newroad at where temple of the Goddess Kali is positioned and is source of the Kali River.

India had erected duplicate Kali Temple and formed artificial pond as a sources of Kali River at Tulsi Newroad and insists that the river to the east of Kalapani is the main Kali River, and therefore claim the Kalapani area belongs to India. Encroachment of border has made Kalapani on Indian side making Nepal loose a further 62 square kilometers of territory. It’s because that Tulsi Newroad is famous for religious, business point of view. 

Maps as Evidence:

1. There is enough evidence that posse that origin of Kali River which lies about 16 kilometers northwest of Kalapani at Limpiyadhura and Tulsi Newroad where India troops have camped is territory of Nepal itself.
2. Act of Parliament by James Horst Surgh, Hydrographer to the East India Company on published 1st Feb. 1827 shown the river originated from Limpiyadhura in the Zanskar Range of the Himalayas, as Kali River. 
3. Parbury Allen & Co. 1830 and its updated edition of 1846 entitled “Western Provinces of Hindoostan” also show the river flowing from Limpiyadhura as Kali River. 
4. Improved Map of published in London, 2 January 1816 by A. Arrowsmith No. 10 Soho Square, Hydrographer to His Majesty, has shown the river from Limpiyadhura to be as Kali or western branch of Gogra or Sarjoo
5. Sketch of Kumao by Captain H.S. Webb, Surveyor 1819; Vorder-Indien Orderdas Indo-Britische Reich 1834, Steilers Hand Atles-Germany; Index Map-XII of India 1835, Baldwin & Cradock;  Anglo Asian Map by J.B. Tassin, 1837 and The Atlas of India, 1846 (maps of the society for the diffusion of useful knowledge), London: Charles Knight and Co.
6. The maps from 1860 to 1880 have, though maintained the geographical position of the Kali River and location of Kalapani in situ but the name of the Kali has been changed to Kuti and then Kuti Yangti River. 
7. An 1881 map published by Survey of India entitled “Nepal, Tibet & United Province has mentioned the river flowing from Limpiyadhura simply as Kuti River and it has left the river flowing from Luplek unnamed.
8. Maps published after 1880 have changed the name of the river originated from Limpiyadhura as Kuti Yangti and the river flowing from nearby of Luplek pass has been started to name as Kali River making Nepal loose almost 310 square kilometers of land, west of Lipu River.  So the name of the river Kali was slowly changed into Kuti and finally into Kuti Yangti.
9. Map entitled “Nepal, Almorah, United Province” with 1″ = 1 mile published by Survey of India, 1879 has altered the border to the east and south with the cartographic symbol, keeping intact the geographical location of Kali and Lipu rivers and Kalapani. 

Petition together by

Anush Subedi

Jangii Nissan

Vishnu Pyakurel