Interestingly, the Chinese troops were reportedly present in the sensitive border area of Chamoli district on August 15, the day the State Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was scheduled to unfurl the tricolour at Gamshali village of the district. However, inclement weather came in the way, forcing cancellation of the visit.
The presence of the Chinese troops in the area despite the knowledge of the CM’s scheduled visit is a serious development, say the observers. According to them, a stern message is inherent in the development. “It is another matter that CM cancelled the visit at the last moment. But the fact remains that the PLA members were very much present in the area on that day despite the knowledge that the CM was to visit it on the special day to bolster the Indian presence in the highly sensitive and strategic area of the Himalayan State. The portents are indeed ominous,” says a State watcher. Notably, Gamshali village where CM was scheduled to unfurl the national flag is not very far away from Barahoti.