Civilisational ties and territorial sovereignty are not contradictory but complementary

This civilisational context does not eliminate the need for boundary demarcation or protecting national interests. It provides the trust necessary to address difficult questions through dialogue rather than confrontation

Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s recent remarks in Nepal’s Parliament on the India-Nepal boundary issue have generated considerable debate. Yet much of the discussion has focused on individual words rather than the larger significance of what was said.

At its core, the Prime Minister’s message reflected an important reality: territorial concerns and civilisational ties are not competing ideas. A mature state is capable of safeguarding both.

By asserting Nepal’s concerns regarding the Kalapani area while acknowledging the deep cultural and familial ties that bind Nepal and India, he highlighted a truth often lost in contemporary discourse-that sovereignty and coexistence can advance together. Recognizing shared lives and livelihoods across the border is not a denial of national interest; it is an acknowledgment of reality.

India-Nepal relations cannot be viewed solely through the prism of maps and boundaries. Unlike many international borders, the India-Nepal border has evolved within a landscape of shared communities. It is shaped not only by treaties and political agreements but also by rivers, forests, mountains, and settlements whose lives have been intertwined for generations.

The relationship is rooted in centuries of shared civilizational ties, roti-beti sambandh, pilgrimage routes, and philosophical traditions that have been preserved and nurtured across generations.

Families exist across the border. In the Terai, communities share language, culture, and kinship through Maithili, Bhojpuri, and Awadhi........

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