Road to a settlement

From the point of view of commerce, the reopening of the Nathu La pass for trade is likely to be of largely symbolic importance.

From the point of view of commerce, the reopening of the Nathu La pass for trade is likely to be of largely symbolic importance. For the local people of Sikkim and Tibet, there will be intrinsic gains as well. Providing the shortest access to a port from Lhasa, the route will be a boon for Tibetans seeking consumer durables, while Sikkim will gain from access to Tibetan wool, animal hides and borax. The 4,310-metre pass offers perhaps the easiest trans-Himalayan route between India and Tibet, though, unlike neighbouring Jelepla, it remains closed in winter. Considering Tibet’s sparse needs, trade volumes are not likely to be high. The trade list that the two countries have permitted indicates that it is likely to follow traditional lines that existed till the 1962 war closed the pass to commerce.

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Concerns have been expressed that the opening could affect Indian security. By the same measure, it could affect the Chinese as well. There was a time when Prime Minister Nehru called Kalimpong, on the border of Sikkim and West Bengal, “a den of spies”. But times change. Tibet is no longer the mysterious and closed society it once was and travel between it and the rest of the world is fairly routine. Further, technical intelligence ensures that both countries keep track of each other’s military activities. Perhaps the more significant aspect of its reopening is that it is anchored on China’s decision to recognise Sikkim as a part of

India. This acknowledgement could be a precursor of a wider settlement, including a formal acceptance of Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.

The best security guarantee obviously is a settlement of political disputes through negotiations, and Nathu La’s reopening is a good augury for the settlement of the larger Sino-Indian dispute over their entire 4,056 km boundary.