The start of traditional India-China trade, which was going to start after six years from Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, has once again been postponed. Indian traders were to reach Taklakot in China by July 8, but due to lack of market, shops and warehouses there, the date of trade was extended. At present around 100 Indian businessmen are waiting in Gunji and Nabidhang. The new date has also not been decided by China yet. Traders are now waiting for the preparations for Taklakot Mandi to be completed and the new date to be announced. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has informed the Indian administration that the construction work of shops and warehouses for Indian traders in Taklakot is still going on. This time a new business building is being built by China for Indian businessmen, where they will be provided shops on rent. Traders will be allowed to go to Taklakot only after the building and warehouse are completely ready. 100 traders got trade passes. This year, 134 Indian traders have applied for Taklakot trade. The administration has so far issued trade passes to 100 traders and their assistants. The process of issuance to the remaining traders, assistants and pony-porters is in the final stages. Indian traders have delivered exported goods to Gunji. Checking of goods and custom clearance has started in the customs office here. The process of many traders has been completed. For the convenience of traders, SBI branch is also being operated in Gunji. ADM said – Awaiting approval from China. Additional District Magistrate of Pithoragarh Yogendra Singh said that all preparations for starting the business from the Indian side have been completed. The custom verification process is ongoing. Information has been received from China that shops and warehouses are being prepared for Indian traders in Taklakot. At present the traders are staying in Gunji and Nabidhang. Complete arrangements have been made for their accommodation, food and other necessary facilities. At the same time, SDM Ashish Joshi said that the participation of youth in border trade has increased this year. Sunil Garbyal as a young businessman and a female businessman are also going to join this business activity. Trade pass is so different from normal passport… 1. Document of border trade, not of foreign travel. Normal passport is the official travel document of the Government of India, through which a person can travel to different countries of the world under visa rules. In contrast, the Indo-Tibetan Trade Pass is issued only to authorized people involved in border trade. It is not valid for tourism, job or other international travel. 2. Valid for fixed routes and limited periods, the ordinary passport remains valid for several years and allows the holder to travel to different countries. Trade passes are issued only for scheduled trade seasons and authorized trade routes, such as the Lipulekh Pass-Taklakot area. Its validity is limited and it cannot be used once it expires. 3. Special permission letter, in which the role is also decided. Trade pass is not a normal identity document, but a special permission letter issued for border trade. It is given only to registered traders, their assistants, porters, porters and mule drivers. The category of the holder is also recorded in the pass. It cannot be transferred to any other person and has to be deposited back to the concerned authority at the end of the trade season. Complete process from eligibility to approval Indo-Tibet Trade Pass is issued not to ordinary tourists but to registered traders, their assistants, porters, porters and mule drivers engaged in border trade. To get the pass, it is necessary for the applicant’s name to be in the border trade or registered trader list. After this the application is submitted to the trade office or district administration. On receiving the application, there is security and administrative investigation including SIB (Special Investigation Branch). After getting all the approvals, trade pass is issued. For this, identity card, local resident or businessman proof, business registration documents, photo and records related to security clearance may be required. The final list of documents is decided as per the notification of the concerned district administration. For the first time, trade will change to road-based model. Till now the trade through Lipulekh Pass was completely dependent on the traditional transportation system. Traders used to make a difficult journey of several days from Dharchula via Gunji, Kalapani and Nabhidhang to reach the pass. Goods were transported using horses, mules, yaks and porters. Bad weather and landslides often halted business. According to Suman Joshi, a researcher at Kumaon University, earlier the marginal communities used to take rice, barley and wheat from Nepal to Gyanima and Garhatok markets of Tibet, where salt and borax were taken in return. At many places, up to five drains of salt were exchanged for one drain of rice. Now after the construction of the road, vehicles will be able to reach the border directly for about 100 kilometers. Only for the last 200 meters the goods will be transported in the traditional manner. After this, road route will be available in China area, from where traders will reach Taklakot Mandi, about 18 kilometers away. Shops will be available in the new market of Taklakot. During the closure of business for about 7 years, many shops of the old market of Taklakot were allotted to Nepalese and other traders. Now a new trade market has been developed for Indian and Nepalese traders. Indian traders will be given shops in this new market. The trade committee says that the new market is more organized than before and there will be more space available for storing goods. Concessional fares and better logistics facilities for Indian traders have also been demanded. People associated with business believe that due to roads and modern facilities, the scope of business can increase further in the coming years. Business worth crores in 2019, now expected to increase. In 2019, there was a trade of about Rs 3 crore through this route, which included export of about Rs 1.25 crore and import of Rs 1.90 crore. Now that trade is going to start again with roads and modern facilities, this figure is expected to increase significantly. Due to closure of trade, many Indian traders had left their goods in Taklakot market of Tibet. For the last six years, goods worth more than Rs 1 crore belonging to about 45 traders are stuck there. Now, with the resumption of business, these traders are expected to get a big relief as they will be able to bring back their goods or sell them. Lipulekh has been a route of trade, culture and trust for centuries. Lipulekh Pass is not just a route for border trade but has also been the main route of contact between India, Nepal and Tibet for centuries. For a long time, trade based on barter system was carried on in the frontier areas. British officer and writer Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, in his book ‘India and Tibet’, described the Himalayan trade routes as a medium of cultural and trade contact between India and Tibet. Through these routes, not only goods but also traditions, languages and relations of marginal societies reached from one area to another. This contact with Tibet was not limited to just Mandis. Fairs, religious pilgrimages and trade caravans in the border areas also formed the basis of social relations between India, Nepal and Tibet. Fairs like Jauljibi remained recognized as trilateral trading centers for a long time. Who are the Ran communities, who kept the Himalayan trade alive? The Ran community has played the most important role in the traditional trade through Lipulekh Pass. This community mainly resides in the Beas, Darma and Chaundas valleys of Pithoragarh. The Ran community is also considered a part of the Bhotiya or Shoka community. For centuries this community was keeping the Indo-Tibetan trade alive on the inaccessible Himalayan routes. A glimpse of Tibetan culture is visible in their lifestyle, food and clothing. The community is known for its woolen weaving, folk culture and frontier lifestyle. According to the 2011 census, the population of Bhotia tribe in Uttarakhand was more than 39 thousand. Liquor was consumed before trading. According to a study by Suman Joshi, when there was snowfall in the higher areas, many Bhotiya families used to build temporary houses in the lower areas of Nepal in winter, while in summer they used to reach the markets of Tibet with trade caravans. This frontier community served as a trade bridge between Nepal and Tibet. Before starting trade, a friendship ritual called ‘Share Chu-Dul Cyu’ was performed between Indian traders and Tibetan traders. Both sides drank liquor in silver vessels and touched ghee, sattu, wool and gold as a symbol of trust. Even pieces of stone were preserved as proof of friendship. Border dispute again in discussion due to Nepal’s objection. Nepal has already expressed objection regarding Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas. In 2019, after the new map of the Indian government, Nepal also released a new political map, in which it claimed this entire area. Later the Nepal Parliament also approved it. Nepal claims that this area is its part, while India considers it as its territory on the basis of Sigauli Treaty. This is the reason why this entire area related to India-China trade and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is considered very strategically sensitive. ————— Also read this news: You will have to wait to visit Mount Kailash from India: Permits will be issued after 2 months; The weather keeps changing every day at the view point. Devotees will have to wait for about two more months to visit the holy Mount Kailash in Tibet from India. At present Inner Line Permits (ILP) are not being issued. The district administration says that when the permit starts around September, the devotees coming to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat will be able to visit Old Lipulekh (Old Lipupas) located at an altitude of 17 thousand feet and see Mount Kailash from the Indian border. Read the full news…
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भारत-चीन व्यापार की शुरुआत टली: गुंजी में इंतजार कर रहे 100 भारतीय व्यापारी; चीन ने कहा- दुकानों और गोदामों का काम जारी – Pithoragarh News
