While the landlocked country of Nepal has been at loggerheads with India over the supposed encroachment of regions such as Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, China has reportedly occupied the Rui village in Gorkha district of Nepal. As such, the village has now been annexed to Tibet, an autonomous region of China. As reported by Nepal-based newspaper, Khabarhub, the aggressive stance of Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli towards India has been an eyewash to suppress the events in its own territory.
Even though Rui is still included in the map of Nepal, China has removed the boundary pillars to legitimise its occupation, the report says. The village which consists of about 72 houses, has reportedly been under siege, owing to the negligence and apathy of the Nepalese government and its officials. According to the Land Revenue Office (Gorkha), it has a record of revenue collected from the residents of the village of Rui. Khabarhub reported that the records are still secured in file number one in the Land Revenue Office.
As per historian Ramesh Dhungal, both the villages of Rui and Teigha which are located in the northern part of Gorkha district have been lost due to the negligence of the Nepalese authorities in fixing the boundary pillars. He added that Rui was neither lost by Nepal in war nor was it the subject of any special agreement with Tibet. He said, “India’s border is accessible. People walk around it. Therefore, border issues with India are visible to all, but the situation of Nepal at the northern border with Tibet is extremely bad.”
Rui villagers still pay land revenue to Nepal
The President of Chumubari Rural Municipality ward number 1, Bir Bahadur Lama, conceded that even though the people of Rui had deposited their share of land revenue to the Nepal government, yet they had become Tibetans following the encroachment by China. Khabarhub reported that pillar number 35 was demarcated as the border between Samdo and Rui village. However, during the restoration work of the pillar no. 35, owing to negligence, the village came under Chinese occupation, Dhungal was quoted by News 24.
Agitated residents fled to adjoining villages
While the language, culture, and places of worship of the people of Sama, Samdo, and Rui villages are the similar, ward President Lama informed that his elders had told him that the agitated residents of Rui returned back to their farms in Samdo and established a new settlement there. “Several people did not want to join Tibet and instead fled to Samdo. They had come historical and cultural documents that were 1000-1200 years old. They built their places of worship here. The sacred site still has historical evidence of Aditya Malla and Punya Malla, the two historical deities of the Malla kings.”
Nepal initiates radio warfare against India
Nepal has started radio warfare in bordering villages of Uttarakhand. The residents of these villages can catch Nepali Radio stations that are now playing anti-India songs from the last few months. These songs mainly state that areas like Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura in Uttarakhand are part of Nepal and India should return them. Nepal has recently included these areas in its new map. These songs are played several times between shows, including news bulletins. Along with anti-India sentiment, these songs also taunt Nepalese politicians for “not doing enough” to take control of the land that “belongs” to Nepal.
