No man's niggle over repairs - Nepal glare on monastery

The Bodhi Temple near the border.
The stump on the left is a border pillar numbered 71/8. Picture by Mohan Lama

TT, Pashupatinagar (Indo-Nepal border), Nov. 23: Nepal has objected to constructions at a 40-year-old monastery near Darjeeling that the Himalayan nation contends lies on "no-man's-land" between the two countries.

India's border with Nepal is porous and a part of it remains disputed, with demarcation pending for years. Nepal holds that 30 feet on either side of some border pillars is "no-man's-land" - these pillars point out India and Nepal on either side.

Kathmandu has argued that a portion of the Bodhi Temple, the monastery in the border town of Pashupatinagar that is around 30km from Darjeeling, falls within 30 feet of the pillar numbered 71/8 and, therefore, there can be no construction. As a result of Nepal's objection in September, the plans were put on hold.

"We are of the view that construction must be stopped as it violates the 30-foot no-man's-land from the border pillar. We found out that around 35 to 40 per cent of the monastery falls within the no man's zone and so there should be no construction," Sujan Phagu, the assistant chief district officer of Illam district in Nepal, said.

According to plans drawn up by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the autonomous council that governs the Darjeeling hills, the monastery would have been repaired and a community hall built.

But after the GTA issued a work order for a Rs 15-lakh community hall on September 9, Nepal immediately objected. India then asked the district administration to conduct a survey.

Buddha Tamang, the monastery president, wondered why objections were being raised now. "The land was transferred to the monastery in 1974... and since then there has been no problem," he said.

India's relations with Nepal have not been at their best lately, with the demonetisation decision the latest irritant in ties. Kathmandu believes it has been given little time to recover the estimated Rs 3,500 crore in old Indian currency in circulation in that country. Nepal has earlier accused India of trying to influence the formulation of its Constitution.

"We received a communication from the Bengal resident commissioner," said Anurag Srivastava, the district magistrate of Darjeeling. "We found that some portion of the monastery is in the no-man's-land area. We have sent our views to higher authorities, stating repairs of a monastery that existed for long be allowed but there should be no additional construction," he said.

The district administration is waiting for instructions from the ministry of external affairs.

Jhala Nath Khanal, the Prime Minister of Nepal in 2011 and an elected member from Illam in Nepal's Constituent Assembly, visited Pashupatinagar this week. "He is trying to co-ordinate on the issue at the highest level," Phagu said.

Khanal could not be contacted.