New Delhi:Amid the territorial dispute between India and Nepal over the Kalapani region, Nepal has built an 87-km-long road connecting Changru, Tinker near China border which is believed will ensure better access to China border which lies beyond Tinker.
Experts opine that China will stand to benefit from the new road build by Nepal as it could come closer to the Indian border.
Speaking to ETV Bharat former ambassador JK Tripathi said, "It can be assumed that the road is to facilitate the movement of Chinese to Nepal, not vice versa because Nepalese going to China won’t cause any harm but Chinese coming to Nepal will be posing a threat to Bhutan and Sikkim”.
Chinese manoeuvre will have an impact on India but we don’t know how much is between the lines of China’s road project. In fact, this route is going to benefit China more than Nepal because, by the road, China can approach deep inside Nepal and pose a threat to Indian forces as well as forces of Bhutan.
He reiterated that the 550-meter pedestrian road will be strategically more important to China than to Nepal because this is how China can come more into proximity with Indian border and pose a threat in Sikkim border or Bhutanese border or Uttarakhand border once China gets entry into Nepal. “It would be difficult for India. Given the tactics, Chinese might have pressurized Nepal to construct the road”, he added.
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Gen. Ashok K. Mehta of Indian Army who has explored Nepal since 1959 said, “Nepal is a sovereign independent country, it has built a road one at each side of the border and in the inaccessible areas close to Kalapani. Earlier, Nepalese had to travel to the Indian side and then migrate to their villages. Now the road build by Nepal army will cut short their travel”.