काठमाडौं, भदौ २६ । ब्रिटिश साम्राज्य र नेपालका बीच भएको ऐतिहासिक सुगौली सन्धीको आज २०० औं वर्ष पुगेको छ । पृथ्वी नारायण शाहको राज्य बिस्तार अभियानलाई धक्का दिने यो सन्धीबाट नेपालले ठूलो भूभाग गुमाउनु परेको थियो ।
यो सन्धिमा ब्रिटिश ईष्ट इण्डिया कम्पनी र नेपाल बीच २ डिसेम्बर १८१५ मा हस्ताक्षर भएको र यसको पुष्टि ४ मार्च १८१६ भएको थियो। यो सन्धि गरेर ब्रिटिशद्वारा पर्वतीय राज्य नेपालमाथि दोस्रो पल्ट आक्रमण गरिंदा उब्जेको सन् १८१४ देखि १८१६ सम्म चलेको अंग्रेज–नेपाल युद्धको समाप्ती भयो ।
सन्धिमा हस्ताक्षर गर्नेमा नेपाल पक्षबाट राजगुरु गजराज मिश्र र चन्द्र शेखर उपाध्याय तथा ब्रिटिश कम्पनी पक्षका लेफ्टिनेन्ट कर्नेल प्यरिस् ब्राड्श थिए।
सन्धिमा नेपालले लडाईंमा जितेको भूमि छोड्नुपर्ने, ब्रिटिश प्रतिनिधि काठमाडौंमा राखिने, गोर्खालाई ब्रिटिश सेनामा भर्ती गरिने र नेपालले अमेरिकी अथवा युरोपेली कर्मचारीलाई राख्ने अधिकारबाट पनि वंचित हुनुपर्यो । यस अघि फ्रांसका कमाण्डरहरूलाई नेपाली सेनालाई तालीम दिने काममा लगाइन्थ्यो।
सुगौली सन्धिभन्दा पहिला नेपालको क्षेत्रफल २ लाख ४ हजार ९ सय १७ वर्ग किलोमिटर थियो । नदीलाई आधार मानेर गरिएको सिमानामा पूर्वमा टिस्टा र पश्चिममा सतलजसम्म थियो । सन्धीपछि विशाल नेपालको भु(भाग घटेर १ लाख ४७ हजार १ सय ८१ वर्ग किलोमिटरमा झरेको थियो । यस अन्तर्गत सिक्किमको क्षेत्र पनि पर्छ, जहाँका राजा छोग्यालले अंग्रेज(नेपाली युद्धमा ब्रिटिशलाई सघाएका थिए।
यसबाहेक नेपालले गुमाएका क्षेत्रहरूमा काली नदीको पश्चिमी भाग कुमाउँ, गढवाल सतलज नदीको पश्चिमतर्फका केही क्षेत्रहरू कांगडा (वर्तमान हिमाचल प्रदेश) र तराई क्षेत्रका धेरै भागहरू थिए ।
सन् १८५७ मा भारती जनताले ब्रिटिश सेनाविरुछ गरेको विद्रोहलाई दबाउन नेपालले दिएको सहयोगको निम्ति कृतज्ञता प्रकट गर्न तराई क्षेत्रका केही भागहरू सन् १८१६मा नेपाललाई फर्काइए । यो र पुनः यस क्षेत्रका केही भागहरू हालका बाँके, बर्दिया, कैलाली र कञ्चनपुर सन् १८६५ मा नेपाललाई फर्काइएको थियो ।
सुगौली सन्धिलाई सँच्याउने अर्को शान्ति एवं मैत्री सन्धि डिसेम्बर १९२३मा भयो जसमा ब्रिटिश प्रतिनिधिलाई ब्रिटिश राजदूतको दर्जा दिइयो।
Terms of Sugauli Treaty 2015 (Proposed)
1) Nepal and Britain will forever maintain peace and mutual friendship and respect each other’s internal and external independence.
2) All previous treaties, agreements and engagements, since and including the Sugauli Treaty of 1815, which have been concluded between the two Government are hereby essentially cancelled, except so far as they may be altered by the present Treaty.
3) As the preservation of peace and friendly relations with the neighbouring States whose territories adjoin their common frontiers is to the mutual interests of both the High Contracting Parties, they hereby agree to inform each other of any rupture such friendly relations, and each to exert its good offices as far as may be possible to remove such friction and misunderstanding.
4) Each of the High Contracting Parties will use all such measure as it may deem practicable to prevent its territories being used for purpose inimical to the security of the other.
5) In view of the longstanding friendship that has subsisted between the British Government and the Government of Nepal and for the sake of cordial neighbourly relations between them, the British Government agrees that the Nepal Government shall be free to import from or through British India into Nepal whatever arms, ammunition, machinery, warlike material or stores may be required or desired for the strength and welfare of Nepal, and that this arrangement shall hold good for all times as long as the British Government is satisfied that the intentions of the Nepal Government are friendly and that there is no immediate danger to India from such importations. The Nepal such arms, ammunition, etc., across the frontier of Nepal either by the Nepal Government or by private individuals. If, however, any convention for the regulation of the Arms Traffic, to which the British Government may be a party, shall come into force, the right of importation of arms and ammunition by the Nepal Government shall be subject to the proviso that the Nepal Government shall first become a party to that Convention, and that such importation shall only be made in accordance with the provisions of that Convention.
6) No Customs duty shall be levied at British Indian ports on goods imported on behalf of the Nepal Government of immediate transport to that country provided that a certificate from such authority as may from time to time be determined by the two governments shall be presented at the time of importation to the Chief Customs Officer at the port of import setting forth that the goods are the property of the Nepal Government, are required for the public services of the Nepal Government are not for the purpose of any State monopoly or State trade, and are being to Nepal under orders of the Nepal Government, The British Government also agrees to the grant in respect of all trade goods, imported at British Indian ports for immediate transmission to Kathmandu without breaking bulk en route, of a rebate of the full duty paid, provided that in accordance with arrangements already agreed to, between the two Governments, such goods may break bulk for repacking at the port of entry under Customs supervision in accordance with such rules as may from time to time be laid down in this behalf. The rebate may be claimed on the authority of a certificate signed by the said authority that the goods have arrive at Katmandu with Customs seals unbroken and otherwise untampered with.
7) This Treaty signed in the part of the British Government by Lieutenenat-Colonel W.F.T. O’Connor, C.I.E., C.V.O., British Envoy at the Court of Nepal and on the part of Nepal Government by General His Highness Maharaja Sir Chandra Shumsher Junga Bahadur Rana, G.C.B, G.C.S.I., G.D.M.G., G.C.V.O., D.C.I., Thong-lin Pimma Kokang- Wang-Syan, Prime Minister and Marshal of Nepal, shall be ratified and the ratification shall be exchanged at the Kathmandu as soon as practicable.
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