Demand for border trade with China rising

Pithoragarh: Indian traders involved in border trade with China through the Lipulekh pass in Pithoragarh district, eastern most district in Uttarakhand, since 1992, have requested the central government to take up the issue of resumption of border trade through this route with Beijing.

The trade route was closed rather suddenly after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, forcing Indian traders to return from the Taklakot mart in Tibet leaving behind their woollen products. Five years have passed, but the route has not been opened, an organisation of border traders in Dharchula said.

The traders, who belong to the Bhotia tribe, started to raise their demand for reopening of the trade route through Lipulekh after China recently began the process of implementing a pact, in which it had agreed to open all 14 trade passes with Nepal. The implementation of the agreement inked by China and Nepal in December, 2022, began on May 25 this year, when China opened Piangi pass situated in Dolpa district of eastern Nepal, president of Bharat Tibetan Simant Vyapar Samiti, Dharchula Jeewan Singh Rongkali said. Three more passes along the Indo-Tibet border in the western region of Nepal that fall in the districts of Humla, Bajang and Darchula will be opened on June 20, 30 and 25 respectively, he said.

“We have so far sent 22 applications to the government of India requesting it to take up with the Chinese authorities the reopening of the trade route through Lipulekh pass, but have received no response so far,” Rongkali said.

According to Rongkali, Indian tribal traders from Dharchula alone have left trading items worth Rs15 lakh in Taklakot Mart of Tibet at the time of closure of border trade in 2019, following the Covid-19 pandemic.