Two articles on Cross-Border Trade
The following two articles from August 21 support the opening of the trans-Himalayan frontier for trade, to the mutual benefit of all parties involved. The first describes in detail how a brisk trade is already occurring (unregulated) and that Ladakh could also benefit from a linkage of Leh to Demchok to Mansarovar which cuts the time of travel to Kailash from a month through Lipu Lekh to 2 days by highway:
China trade beckons Ladakh
By C. Raja Mohan, The Hindu, Saturday, Aug 21, 2004
LEH: As the economic juggernaut in China reaches the nation's far western corners in Tibet and Xinjiang and the relations between New Delhi and Beijing improve, the long frozen Sino-Indian frontier here is coming alive.
For centuries, Leh was at the crossroads of trans-Himalayan commerce. Its intrepid traders moved goods between the Indo-Gangetic plain, Tibet and Central Asia. In recent decades, amid competing territorial claims between India and China, the flow of trade caravans through this entrepot town had become a distant memory. [link]
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Baruah has argued in the past for an opening of the Sikkim-Tibet border crossing to revitalize the Northeast States. Here, he presents his views in full, calling for both governments to overcome the impasse over Tibet for a brighter future for all in the trans-Himalayas. Going beyond acknowledging China's sovereignty over Tibet, he also describes their massive investment into the autonomous region that should diffuse separatist feelings in Tibet. Although, I am not ready to forgo the right to self-determination, Baruah does present a case for realpolitik, particularly to overcome diplomatic hurdles for people-to-people contact.
A reality check on Tibet
By Amit Baruah, The Hindu, Saturday, Aug 21, 2004
IT IS time to open up. The Tibet Autonomous Region of China is on the move. A cooperative relationship between India and China can bring enormous benefits to people on both sides of the border. The border trade agreement signed in June 2003 between India and China, through Sikkim and the TAR, needs to be implemented at the earliest. People-to-people contact in the form of a Gangtok-Lhasa bus service or a New Delhi-Lhasa flight must be promoted.
The Chinese today are keen on showcasing their achievements in Tibet -- from growth in income to the preservation and restoration of religious and cultural monuments. This is a sign of their rising confidence when it comes to dealing with the rest of the world on Tibet. [link]
China trade beckons Ladakh
By C. Raja Mohan, The Hindu, Saturday, Aug 21, 2004
LEH: As the economic juggernaut in China reaches the nation's far western corners in Tibet and Xinjiang and the relations between New Delhi and Beijing improve, the long frozen Sino-Indian frontier here is coming alive.
For centuries, Leh was at the crossroads of trans-Himalayan commerce. Its intrepid traders moved goods between the Indo-Gangetic plain, Tibet and Central Asia. In recent decades, amid competing territorial claims between India and China, the flow of trade caravans through this entrepot town had become a distant memory. [link]
------
Baruah has argued in the past for an opening of the Sikkim-Tibet border crossing to revitalize the Northeast States. Here, he presents his views in full, calling for both governments to overcome the impasse over Tibet for a brighter future for all in the trans-Himalayas. Going beyond acknowledging China's sovereignty over Tibet, he also describes their massive investment into the autonomous region that should diffuse separatist feelings in Tibet. Although, I am not ready to forgo the right to self-determination, Baruah does present a case for realpolitik, particularly to overcome diplomatic hurdles for people-to-people contact.
A reality check on Tibet
By Amit Baruah, The Hindu, Saturday, Aug 21, 2004
IT IS time to open up. The Tibet Autonomous Region of China is on the move. A cooperative relationship between India and China can bring enormous benefits to people on both sides of the border. The border trade agreement signed in June 2003 between India and China, through Sikkim and the TAR, needs to be implemented at the earliest. People-to-people contact in the form of a Gangtok-Lhasa bus service or a New Delhi-Lhasa flight must be promoted.
The Chinese today are keen on showcasing their achievements in Tibet -- from growth in income to the preservation and restoration of religious and cultural monuments. This is a sign of their rising confidence when it comes to dealing with the rest of the world on Tibet. [link]
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