By Ranju Kafle

Kathmandu, June 14: The Lower House of Federal Parliament unanimously endorsed the Constitution (2nd) Amendment Bill on Saturday to include the updated map of the country in the Coat of Arms.
After holding detailed deliberations on the Bill in the House, the proposal of Constitution amendment was approved unanimously. Leaders of all parliamentary parties stood united on the issue of national sovereignty.
With the amendment of the Constitution, the country’s updated political map showing Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura within western borders of the country has been recognised constitutionally. According to the Constitution, any change made in the Coat of Arms of the country in schedule 3 of the Statute should be approved by the House, and the Lower House today approved the inclusion of the recent updated political and administrative map in the Coat of Arms.
Constitution Amendment Bill was registered in the House on May 22 seeking an approval to update the schedule 3 of the Constitution with new political map issued by the government.
Schedule 3 has the Coat of Arms with Nepal’s map which required correction as the actual territory of the nation was left in the previous Coat of Arms.
The updated map was publicly released on May 20 after the Cabinet decided to publish it on May 18. Department of Survey under Ministry of Land Management had prepared the map drawn based on the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. The earlier map issued in 2032 BS had left some places like Gunji, Nabhi and Kuti villages in its territory.
As per the Constitution provision, a clear two-thirds majority with 184 votes is required for the amendment of the Constitution.
Making the results of voting public, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota said 258 votes were cast in favour of the amendment. “None of the lawmakers stood against the amendment and it has been approved unanimously,” he said, adding that the amendment proposal registered by lawmaker Sarita Giri was rejected.
House of Representatives has 275 members in total. According to the Parliament Secretariat, 12 lawmakers were absent on the historic day. Amrita Devi Agrahari, Gopal Bahadur Bam, Dularidevi Khatwini, Dhan Bahadur Budha, Nagendra Kumar Chaudhary, Pramod Sah, Shiva Kumar Mandal, Sarita Giri, Surya Narayan Yadav, Surya Bahadur KC, Haribol Gajurel and Gyan Kumari Chhantyal were absent today.
Other four including Resham Chaudhary, Mohummad Aaftab Alam, Harinarayan Chaudhary and Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar have been suspended from their post. Constitutionally, Speaker does not cast vote unless there is a tie on any agenda.
Despite several disagreements with the government, opposition parties including Nepali Congress (NC), Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) stood in favour of the Constitution amendment.
“We forgot issues of disagreement with the government and favoured Constitution amendment to safeguard our territory; our lands in Kalapani, Lipulake and Limpiyadhura has to be returned now,” they said in a single voice.
During the deliberations, Chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said that the Nepali lands lost during the monarchy would be brought back now, during the democracy.
“The Nepali land and territorial integrity which was lost during autocratic Panchayat system of government is being brought by republic Nepal. The house will receive historic pride for this.”
Giving examples of the past where political parties and civil society united together for protection of national interest, chair Dahal cleared that Nepalis would never be divided on issues of nationality.
He also expressed his solidarity towards all parties, general public and civil society.
Stating that the nation’s duty was to eradicate the entire political, social and cultural aberrations made by autocratic system and to ensure national independence and make nation free from foreign pressure, Dahal said. “The decision to endorse the new political map of Nepal is a milestone in protecting our territorial integrity.”
He added that promotion of nation’s independence and protection of territorial integrity was the duty of all parties present in the House.
“We have reached a new height in taking our encroached lands back,” said the NCP Chair. “This will make all Nepali’s historic campaign successful.”
Expressing his gratefulness towards Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepal government for taking initiative in correcting Nepal’s map and amending the Constitution to achieve the former, Dahal said, “I would like to extend gratitude and congratulate all parties, civil societies and general public.”
Likewise, Sher Bahadur Deuba, President of the main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC), said that Nepalis always stood together whenever there is a case of national sovereignty.  
The NC President said, “Sugauli Treaty and all other historical documents prove that Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal.”
He added that NC supported endorsement of the constitution amendment bill.
Senior leader of Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal, Rajendra Mahato, said, “People from mountain, hill and the Terai are equally sensitive to the matter of national interest, territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
“Correcting the map in papers isn’t enough, the

government should now focus on reclaiming the encroached lands through diplomatic channel,” he said.
He added that despite the reservations on the Constitution, the his party fully supported the Constitution amendment bill.
“Nationality isn’t defined by class, caste or geographical differences. It belongs to all Nepalis,” he said. “The people of Terai have always guarded Nepal’s borders like an army.”
He also drew the government’s attention towards punishing those who excluded Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and Kalapani from country’s map in the past.    
Moreover, Upendra Yadav, Chairman of Samajhwadi Party stressed on solving the Nepal-India border issue by both the nations via skillful deliberations.
He said that his party collectively supported the Constitution amendment bill.
Speaking on the subject of Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura, Yadav said “The government must acknowledge the mistake in Mahakali Treaty.”
As the bill has been endorsed from the Lower House of the Parliament, it has to undergo a similar process in the National Assembly too before the President certifies it.
Territorial dispute between Nepal and India came to surface after India issued its political map, including the lands of Lipulek, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in November last year.
Initially, Nepal objected to India’s unilateral move of issuing the map. India further constructed a road in Nepali land and inaugurated it even though Nepal had objected to the map, prompting the government to strongly object to the latest move of India. It also handed over diplomatic note to India objecting to the move of constructing link road via Lipulek to Mansarobar on May 8.
Following strong objection of Nepal, India’s Ministry of External Affairs claimed that the link road completely lay within the territory of India.
As per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), all the territories east of the Kali (Mahakali) river including Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and Kalapani belong to Nepal. But India has been occupying the area since 1962.