Bhubaneswar: The Bharat Raksha Manch Thursday released a Postal Cover on the border issues with Nepal. The Cover, which depicts the correct representation of the Kalapani area and border, also has a small legend about the illegal claim by Nepal on Indian Territory. Speaking to the Press, National Secretary of the Manch Anil Dhir said that the cover has been issued as a mark of protest. He said that the cover has been posted to the Prime Minister of Nepal, K.P.Sharma Oli and 59 members of the Nepalese National Assembly. Covers have also been sent to the Nepalese High Commissioner in India. The Cover has also been mailed to the President of the Philatelic Society of Nepal and a hundred covers have been sent to eminent philatelists of Nepal.
The Cover has been posted with affixing a 1954 Map Stamp that was issued by Nepal. Dhir, who is an eminent Philatelist and has written four books on Philately, says that his research had revealed that since 1954, Nepal had issued 29 postage stamps in which the nation’s map has been depicted as claimed by the Indian side. They have never shown the Kalapani finger as their territory or a disputed area. Even the official maps of the government and the maps in the school atlases have never depicted Indian Territory as a Nepalese claim.
Dhir has enclosed a brochure with pictures of all the Map stamps issued by Nepal since 1954. He said that the majority populace of the Himalayan nation does not support the claim that has been made by Prime Minister Oli at the behest of China. Dhir said that it is surprising that China, which is now backing the Nepalese claim, had signed a trade treaty during the 2015 visit of Prime Minister Modi in which it had agreed to expand a trade route through the Lipulekh Pass. The Nepalese lawmaker Sarita Giri was recently expelled from the House of Representatives for not voting in favour of the constitution amendment bill that was registered to depict Kalapani as Nepal’s territories in the redrawn map.
Dr. Ashoak Acharya, President of the Odisha chapter of the Manch said that India’s external and internal security is closely influenced by the relationship we have with our neighbors. He said that the open arms policy of India, whereby it has selflessly welcomed citizens from across its borders, needs to be changed. Implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens should be effectively done on a pan Indian level immediately. The release ceremony was attended by Vice President of the Manch, Pradip Tripathy and office bearers Anjan Kumar Debata, Ajit Dash and Prafulla Swain.
