While China has said it was in talks with India over the denial of entry to 47 Indian pilgrims who were scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through the Nathu la pass in Sikkim, tension has gripped the line of Actual Control (lAC). Chinese troops have intruded into Sikkim leading to a face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers there for the past ten days.
A scuffle between the soldiers of the sides are reported as Indian troops jostled with their Chinese counterparts to prevent them from advancing further. However, both the sides were not carrying arms.
The incident took place in Doka la region, tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan, and Tibet when the Chinese troops transgressed the lAC. They also destroyed two bunkers in lalten area of that sector claiming that they were constructed on the Chinese territory. India, however, objected and said the bunkers to guard the sensitive border were built on Indian land.
As Indian and Chinese troops are now in a standoff situation there, senior officers from both the armies held a flag meeting to resolve the issue on June 20 but to no avail, sources said in New Delhi on Monday.
The development comes amid tensions in bilateral ties between the two countries over a host of issues, including the CPEC and India’s NSG bid.
Chinese troops had stopped a batch of Indian pilgrims proceeding for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from the Nathu la route of Sikkim last week. Though the 90-odd yatris were holding valid visas, the Chinese did not open the gate on their side at Nathu la. This route for the pilgrim was opened in 2015 and nearly 350 pilgrims are scheduled to enter China from Nathu la pass.
India and China have a disputed boundary (lAC) of more than 4,000 km stretching from ladakh, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. While not recognising Sikkim a part of India, Chinese troops resort to incursions in that region and had destroyed some Indian Army bunkers in 2008 too after coming in about a km in Doka la region.
A PTI report from Beijing said that China was talking with India over a Mansarovar pilgrimage issue.
“According to my information, the two Governments are in touch over this issue,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Suhang told reporters, declining to elaborate whether it was due to any weather-related issues like landslides and rains the pilgrims were stopped by the Chinese officials at the Sino-India border. He said the issue was being discussed by the two Foreign Ministries.
The pilgrims were scheduled to cross over to the Chinese side on June 19 but had failed to do so due to inclement weather. They had waited at the base camp and tried to cross again on June 23 but were denied permission by the Chinese officials.
In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said that some difficulties were being experienced in the movement of pilgrims through Nathu la and that India is taking up the matter with China.
The Nathu la route enabled pilgrims to travel 1,500 km long route from Nathu la to Kailash by buses. The route through Nathu la reduced the hardship and journey time enabling many more pilgrims, in particular aged pilgrims, to undertake the Yatra.
The development has cast a shadow of uncertainty on the annual yatra as Chinese officials maintained that it would take some time to repair the roads and the Indians would not be able to make the pilgrimage any time soon.
The Chinese officials said they were concerned about the safety of the Indian pilgrims which is why they were stopped from proceeding further. The pilgrims, who were stopped by the Chinese officials at the border from proceeding further, have now returned to their respective states.
The denial of permission to the first batch of 47 Indian pilgrims was a surprise as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the new route via Nathula Pass in Sikkim was launched with a fanfare by the two countries in 2015. This was the second route agreed by the two counties for the Kailash Yatra.