On 11 th Novemeber, 2016, visited the Nathula pass at 14450 ft.above sea level. One of my Ph.D students Pabitra who is from Sikkim accompanied us. The ladscape en route is awesome .It was a fun filled journey admiring nature, its rugedness and the research of my student. The yaks look very cute. From here we can see the Chinese border .Found it strange that though there were so many tourists and soldiers from the Indian side there were no Chinese tourists or soldiers to be seen.Could not make out if they are not allowed or they are not interested. The air is chilly and one gets breathless due to little oxygen. It is difficult for one to stay here for long and one has to rush back to be in the warmth of the taxi.As I climbed down I could not help but salute the Indian soldiers many of them in their late twenties who are staying there in this harsh weather guarding our borders.
Nathu La, one of the highest motorable roads in the world, is a mountain pass in the Himalayan peaks that co-joins Sikkim and China. Nathu La is one of the most important Himalayan passes in the country. Nathu means 'listening ears', and La means 'pass'. Nathu La is one of the three open trading border posts between India and China and is famous for its picturesque beauty and beautiful environment. The temperature here remains low for most parts. Located on the Old Silk Route, Nathu La Pass connects Sikkim to China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. It was sealed for almost 4 decades after the People’s Republic of China suppressed a Tibetan uprising in 1959. However, when the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited China in 2003, talks to open the strategic route were resumed. The Nathu La Pass was reopened in 2006 and since then, it has served as an official Border personnel Meeting(BPM) Point.
Since it is one of the
three open trading border posts between India and China, Nathu La Pass has
played a key role in the Sino-Indian Trade. It has also shortened the distance
between the important Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage sites, thus strengthening
the economy and improving border relations with China.
