原文：

Q1. Greater Nepal Nationalist Front

The Greater Nepal Nationalist Front was established in 2001 in Kathmandu. It is a government-recognized non-governmental organization in Nepal. As a non-political and independent body, it stands above all political parties in the country. People from any political background may join, but they cannot use the organization to fulfill personal or party-political goals.

The organization was formed with the objective of reclaiming the 177,069 square kilometers of land lost to India under the Treaty of Sugauli (March 4, 1816). It aims to inform the general public about the extent of land lost under this treaty and to pressure the government into raising the issue officially.

Q2. The Treaty of Sugauli

Following the war between Nepal and the British East India Company, the Treaty of Sugauli was signed on March 4, 1816. Under this treaty, Nepal ceded 177,069 sq. km of its original 324,250 sq. km territory and was reduced to 147,516 sq. km.

Before the treaty, Nepal's borders stretched from the Brahmaputra River in the east to the Ravi River in the west, the Himalayas in the north, and the Ganges in the south. After the treaty, Nepal’s borders were confined to the Mechi River in the east, the Mahakali River in the west, the Himalayas in the north, and a narrow strip of the Terai in the south.

The land lost through the treaty remained under British colonial rule until August 1947. Though India and Pakistan were created under the Indian Independence Act of July 18, 1947, and the land technically became independent, it was never returned to Nepal. Even though the 1950 Nepal-India Peace and Friendship Treaty (Articles 1 and 8) annulled the Sugauli Treaty, the territory was not returned. The Greater Nepal Nationalist Front continues to demand its return, arguing that since the treaty was with Britain, not India, India’s retention of the land is illegal and unjust.

Nepal-India Relations

The relationship between Nepal and India is one of compulsion — rooted in the belief that neighbors cannot be changed. While people-to-people relations remain warm, government-level relations are often strained.

India often behaves with a sense of superiority, disregarding the principle of equal sovereignty. It interferes in Nepal’s political and internal matters as though it is entitled to do so. The biggest issue between the two countries lies in border encroachment. India has colonized parts of Greater Nepal and tampered with the boundary defined by the Sugauli Treaty since 1950. It has destroyed, removed, and relocated hundreds of border pillars.

The root cause of the India-Pakistan conflict is Kashmir. Though the partition was based on religious demographics — Muslim-majority areas to Pakistan, Hindu-majority to India — India has repeatedly attacked Pakistan over Kashmir, which is Muslim-majority. In the recent attack following the Pahalgam incident, India aimed to capture Pakistan-administered Kashmir. However, China’s military support helped Pakistan, leading to India’s strategic failure and frustration.

Q3. Pahalgam Incident 

The incident that occurred in Pahalgam, Kashmir last April was the act of terrorists, but India’s claim that Pakistan was behind it is merely an allegation. Pakistan itself is a country suffering from terrorism. I personally witnessed India’s involvement in anti-Pakistan activities in Geneva in 2019, particularly in terrorist activities ongoing in Balochistan. There, money was distributed to provoke slogans against Pakistan's integrity in favor of an independent Balochistan.

In the Pahalgam incident, India has tried to use narrow politics based on Hinduism as its shield. Terrorism has no religion, yet India attempted to portray the Muslim identity of the Pahalgam attackers as evidence that the entire Muslim nation of Pakistan is terrorist in nature—an ill intention that is evident to all. According to the Nepali understanding, India harbors a prejudiced attitude towards Pakistan. Its narrative to the international community—that Pakistan harbors terrorists—is nothing more than stubborn propaganda. India seems to believe that tarnishing Pakistan’s image is the remedy for its own wounds from past defeats against Pakistan. However, this belief is self-indulgent, as the rest of the world appears to side with Pakistan in the context of the Pahalgam incident.

Q4. Pahalgam Incident and Indo-Pak Conflict

India’s military action against Pakistan after the Pahalgam incident ended in defeat. Claiming victory afterward was a futile attempt to mask failure. Had India won, it would have aggressively tried to dominate South Asia. But instead, India was left nursing its wounds, and the region was saved from Indian military aggression.

The major Nepal-India border issue is Kalapani. According to the Sugauli Treaty, Kalapani belongs to Nepal, but India included it in its political map on November 2, 2019, marking the first official encroachment. India has deployed troops there since 1962 and refuses to negotiate. Therefore, Nepal should consider inviting China or Britain to mediate. A similar issue exists in Susta, where India has encroached on 40,000 hectares of Nepali land.

Indian intellectuals have suggested that the Pahalgam attack was orchestrated by India itself. Despite India’s capability to catch terrorists quickly, the attackers remain untraced, reinforcing suspicions that the incident was state-sponsored to defame Pakistan internationally.

Q5. Indus River Water Crisis and Indian Water Terror

After the Pahalgam incident, India unilaterally halted the flow of water from the Indus River, violating the Shimla Agreement. This was a punitive and inhumane act against Pakistan for an incident it allegedly had no role in. Using water as a weapon is a form of “hydro-terrorism,” with millions of ordinary Pakistanis suffering as a result.

India has similarly exploited Nepal’s water resources, using over 80% while much of Nepal remains arid. India builds dams and diverts water from Nepal. The 1956 Gandak Agreement prohibits projects that lower the water level above the Gandak canal, but India ignores this provision. India also interferes in Nepal’s hydropower projects to serve its own interests. Nepali farmers are increasingly dissatisfied with this water exploitation, which they see as Indian water terror.

Q6. People-to-People vs. Government Relations

It is commendable that the people-to-people relationship between Nepal and India has remained unaffected by political tensions. These ties cultural, religious, and educational have been longstanding. However, India’s government consistently hinders Nepal’s physical and economic development. Since 1950, India’s policy has been to keep Nepal economically weak and politically unstable.

This serves two purposes: to prevent people from the lost territories under the Sugauli Treaty from desiring reintegration with Nepal, and to maintain the supply of Nepali youths to the Indian Army. Despite repeated blockades by India, Indian citizens have often shown humanitarian support toward Nepal. The chant “Down with Indian expansionism!” is thus rooted in real grievances.

Q7. U.S. Aid and Nepal-China Relations

The suspension of American aid projects like USAID and MCC will not halt Nepal’s development. These projects have long been suspected of having hidden agendas to block Chinese aid and use Nepali territory against China’s sovereignty.

Among major world powers, China enjoys the highest trust among Nepali people. China’s contribution to Nepal’s development since the 1950s is well recognized. However, due to Indo-American pressure, the Nepali government has often hesitated to openly accept Chinese aid. Former Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Li Tie Piao, once told the speaker during a lunch meeting in Beijing:

"The Chinese government wants to give Nepal so much aid that you won’t be able to count the amount, but your government keeps saying ‘wait.’ What are you afraid of?"

India and the West view China's economic engagement with Nepal as a threat. "The Nepal-China transit treaty has also caused India a burning sense of unease." They attempt to prevent Chinese presence in Nepal to facilitate anti-China operations. As long as Nepal remains governed by pro-India leadership, such space will continue to exist an issue of concern for both Nepal and China.

本文系观察者网独家稿件，文章内容纯属作者个人观点，不代表平台观点，未经授权，不得转载，否则将追究法律责任。关注观察者网微信guanchacn，每日阅读趣味文章。