Kathmandu, June 29: Leaders of various political parties, participating in a talk programme on the Laxmanpur Dam built by India across the Rapti River along the Nepal-India border and the problems arising from it organised by the Democratic National Youth Federation (DNYF) Nepal here recently, stressed the need for unity among all the political parties for the resolution of the problem.

The 13.5 kilometre dam has affected 17,000 people and inundated 6,300 bighas of land, 13 schools and 59 shrines and temples.

Speaking on the occasion, general secretary of the CPN-UML and leader of the Main Opposition Party Madhav Kumar Nepal said the government and all the opposition parties should unite in the issue of nationalism.

Nepal said the hegemonistic attitude of the Indian rulers’ is evident from the construction of the Laxmanpur Dam.

The sensitive issue like the encroachment of the national border harming national self esteem should be countered immediately, he added.

General secretary of NC Sushil Koirala called on all the political parties to resolve the problem of national crisis created by the dam and said all the Nepali citizens should work with the spirit that we can remain Nepalese only if Nepal exists.

General secretary of RPP Pashupati Shumsher J. B. Rana said even if India has used its own territory it can’t do so if it affects Nepal adding that we should not bear the domination.

President of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party Narayan Man Bijukchhe, president of Rastriya Janamorcha Chitra Bahadur K.C. and general secretary of SJM Lilamani Pokherel said we should counter the attitude of India at any cost as the construction of the dam is a challenge to our sovereignty.

MP Rajeswor Devkota said an all party committee should be formed to counter the action taken by India.

General secretary of the NSP Khusiram Mandal said the resolution of the problem should be sought through understanding with India.

At the programme presided over by the co-convenor of the Democratic National Youth Federation and MP Gokarna Raj Bista, various other speakers including chairman of the foreign affairs and human rights committee Som Prasad Pandey, MPs Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar, Pashupati Chaulagain and intellectual Buddhinarayan Shrestha also stressed the need for all the political parties to pressurise the Indian government on the issue of the dam.