Nepal-India Open Border Challenges and Prospects

The open border between Nepal and India in one way has helped in harmonizing the relationship between the two countries, but on the other hand it has been a great security concern for a small country like Nepal. There have been many talks from both countries to develop some kind of procedures for the regulation of borders, but due to the various factors these talks have not been able to materialize. So the issue of border between Nepal and India has remained the critical issue for centuries. The fact is the unregulated form of the international border has been largely responsible for the illegal smuggling of goods, men, drugs, smuggling of arms and ammunition across the border. In principle, both nations during the past years have shown commitment to control such illicit activities, but due to the lack of comprehensive approach to counter these unlawful activities the situation has been getting bigger and even more complex. The social-cultural and geographical proximity, historical attachments, and large numbers of immigrants living close to the border have been the main issues to control the border. In this point of view, it is almost very difficult to control the flow of ideas, thoughts, information, and weapons of small caliber, money, and drugs through the trans-state networks.