China has warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar will depend on the resolution of the standoff between the armies of the two neighbours. The standoff continued for the 11th day on Tuesday on the line of Actual Control (lAC) in Sikkim. The Indian Army is likely to deploy more troops there to prevent the Chinese from moving further into the Indian territory.
Engaged in the faceoff with their Chinese counterparts in the Doka la region of Sikkim, the Indian troops are exercising restraint and efforts are on to resolve the issue amicably, sources said in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Doka la region is at the tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet and is strategically important for the India.
However, the Mansarovar Yatra from the lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand’s Pitthoragarh district is continuing unhindered. Indians’ crossing to China from Nepal route for Mansarovar Yatra has not been stopped so far. Ministry of External Affairs organises this Yatra during June to September each year through two routes — lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu la Pass (Sikkim). A total of l 18 batches are allowed through lipulekh Pass for 24-day Yatra duration. The Nathu la route takes 21 days, but only eight batches are allowed through this side.
The stand-off took place after Chinese troops transgressed the lAC in Sikkim more than ten days back and scuffled with the Indian Army. The Indian troops formed a human chain to prevent the Chinese from moving further into India, sources said. Chinese troops destroyed two Indian bunkers claiming they were built on Chinese land. India refuted the charge and said the bunkers were on Indian territory. The local commanders of both the armies met on June 20 to resolve the matter but to no avail.
While the two armies were in an eyeball to eyeball situation in that sector of lAC, China on Tuesday accused India of “crossing of boundary” and demanded troops’ immediate withdrawal.
China also asserted that it has shut down the Nathu la pass entry for Indian pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar because of the border standoff. Diplomatic protests were also lodged with India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman lu Kang told a media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
“We have lodged solemn representations in Beijing and New Delhi to elaborate on our solemn position,” he said adding “our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border.”
About the fate of pilgrims headed to Kailash and Mansarovar, who had returned to Gangtok after denial of permission by China to enter Tibet, lu said their visit was called off because security reasons.
He also linked future visits of pilgrims to India “withdrawing the troops” from the area.
“As to Indian pilgrims’ journey through Nathu la pass, I think the Indian side is very clear about this. For a long time, the Chinese Government has made enormous efforts to provide the necessary convenience to those Indian pilgrims,” lu said.
“But recently the Indian border personnel trespassed Chinese border to obstruct our construction, we have taken necessary actions. Out of security consideration, we have to put off the pilgrimage by the Indian pilgrims through the Chinese pass,” he said. “On the upcoming actions, we have to depend on what the Indian side will do. They have to take action to improve the security situation,” lu said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Monday night said, “The Indian border guards crossed the boundary in the Sikkim section of the China-India border and entered the territory of China, and obstructed normal activities of Chinese frontier forces in the Donglang area recently, and the Chinese side has taken counter-measures.” China has to put off arranging for the Indian pilgrims to enter China through the Nathu la pass, said Geng.
China has informed India of its decision through diplomatic channels. The Foreign Ministries of both the countries were in talks over this issue, he added.
Geng also said that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary has been defined by treaties, noting that the Indian Government has repeatedly confirmed in writing that there is no objection to it.
His statement came after the Chinese Defence Ministry accused the Indian troops of objecting to building a road in what it claimed to be Chinese territory.
Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang had said on Monday recently China has begun the construction of a road in Donglang region, but was stopped by Indian troops crossing the lAC.
The Nathu la route, which is the second route for the Kailash yatra, was launched with fanfare by the two countries in 2015. The Nathu la route enabled pilgrims to travel 1,500 km long route from Nathu la to Kailash by buses. India and China have a disputed boundary (lAC) of more than 4,000 km stretching from ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.