Strong objections raise condemning Indian TV channel's attack on Nepal's sovereignty

Angry objections are being raised across the country about a private Indian television channel showing Nepal as part of Indian territory in its logo. India News channel, which airs a programme Yeh Mera India (This is my India), ruffled feathers in Nepal when the map shown as the programme logo showed the crescent shaped northern neighbour of India as being inside the Indian border.

There were strong objections by a television station, Sagarmatha Television, that began beaming the offending logo and called it an attack on Nepal’s sovereignty.

The general public are expressing surprise at the government not taking up the issue with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and other Indian officials.

Though slightly mollified by the Indian channel apparently rectifying the error, the TV station Wednesday reported that the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi had said it would take up the matter with the Indian authorities.

It said Nepal’s ambassador to India, Durgesh Man Singh, had said the embassy was working to get an apology from the Indian channel.

The issue of borders remains a contentious one between the two neighbours.

The reported Indian channel’s gaffe comes at a time when a section in Nepal has begun campaigning for a “Greater Nepal”, asking for India to return to Nepal the land it was forced to concede during British rule.

Nepal lost almost one-third of its territory by signing the Sugauli Treaty in 1815 during the rule of the East India Company in India.

As the hated Sugauli Treaty was superseded by a Indo-Nepal peace and friendship treaty in 1950, the campaigners feel the earlier pact has become null and void and Nepal should get back its lost land.