19 Jestha, Dhangadhi – A 1.5-kilometer stretch of the Hulaki Road in Khaapti Nala, Ward No. 8 of Belauri Municipality in Kanchanpur district, remains incomplete due to an ongoing border dispute with India. Since construction began in 2073 BS, the 62-kilometer road segment from Punabas to Daiji has yet to be paved, primarily because of obstructions by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in this area.
Local residents have been agitating for the past nine years, demanding resolution of the dispute and completion of the road. However, as the issue involves two sovereign nations, no conclusive decisions have been reached regarding the contested land. The road is being built approximately 20 meters inside Nepal’s territory from Nepal-India border pillar number 778/1(38), but construction continues to face Indian resistance.
The lands on both sides of the border pillar have long been cultivated by Nepalis who have paid property taxes to the Nepalese government. Despite this, the Indian side has consistently disrupted construction activities.
Locals in Belauri, who have been fighting for both the road’s construction and resolution of the land dispute, expressed intensified frustration following Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s statement claiming that “Nepal has also encroached on Indian territory.” Many supporters who voted for the National Independent Party (Rastriya Swatantra Party) in hope of resolving the border issue feel disheartened by the Prime Minister’s remarks.
Bhuvan Chaudhary of Belauri Municipality Ward No. 8 lamented that the Indian side’s obstruction has prevented road completion. “Beyond just this road, many people have titled land which we continue to cultivate, but the Indian BSF repeatedly claims this as their territory and continuously causes trouble. We have not been allowed to build the road,” he explained.
Chakra Bahadur Kathayat of Belauri Municipality Ward No. 10, Saddaghat, also noted that the land has been in Nepali possession for years, but the Indian claim on the area as per their maps has halted progress. He alleged that Indian nationals have even encroached on Nepali titled land, and criticized the Prime Minister’s statement as not representing the general sentiment of the community. “Not only the Hulaki Road, but even titled lands have been occupied by the Indians. This statement by the Prime Minister in parliament does not reflect the understanding of the local population,” Kathayat said.
Kathayat further added that the Prime Minister’s remarks have instilled additional fear among locals. “We are already under pressure. His statement has heightened our anxiety. There is growing concern that more land might be encroached upon,” he said.
Hari Chand Thakuri, a brick kiln operator near pillar number 38 who has long been involved in the border issue, is the convener of the Nepal-India Border Concern Subcommittee. He expressed his worry and anger over the Prime Minister’s comments, asserting that no Nepali territory has ever encroached on Indian soil. “The response given by the Prime Minister in parliament is incorrect. There is no Nepali encroachment on Indian land,” Thakuri stated.
He added that it is difficult to trust leaders or officials to recover contested lands such as Kalapani and Susta if they cannot reclaim land that is already in Nepali possession based on evidence. “If we do not have to abandon the land we have cultivated, how can we believe such leaders will return Kalapani and Susta?” Thakuri questioned.
Residents had believed Prime Minister Balendra Shah when he assured that agreements with India would be equitable and encroached land would be recovered. However, his recent remarks have cast doubt on that trust.
According to Indian claims, which refer to maps predating 2059 BS, areas that historically belonged to Nepal now appear on Indian maps as their territory. Currently, the disputed land lies about 250 meters inside Nepal from pillar number 38 but has been encroached upon by Indian forces, creating ongoing complications.
