Troops form human wall to stop intrusion

new delhi — In another transgression, Chinese troops entered India in the Sikkim sector and jostled with Indian army personnel guarding the Sino-India frontier, besides destroying two bunker.

The face-off has been going on in Doka La general area in the north eastern state of Sikkim for the past 10 days and the Chinese troops have also stopped the batch of pilgrims that was proceeding for Kailash Mansovar yatra, official sources said on Monday.

The Indian troops had to struggle hard to stop the Chinese personnel from advancing further into Indian territory. They formed a human wall along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to stop the PLA personnel, some of whom also videographed and clicked pictures of the incident.

The bunkers have been destroyed in Lalten area of the Doka La area. A flag meeting was also held between senior army officers of both the sides on June 20, but the tension still continues.

It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at the Doka La, a place at the SikkimBhutan-Tibet tri-junction.

The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers at the same place. Meanwhile, China on Monday said it was in talks with India over the denial of entry to 47 Indian pilgrims who were scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through the Nathu-la pass in Sikkim.

“According to my information, the two governments are in touch over this issue,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Suhang told reporters, declining to elaborate whether it was due to any weather-related issues like landslides and rains the Pilgrims were stopped by the Chinese officials at the Sino-India border.

He said the issue was being discussed by the two foreign ministries. China last week refused entry to 47 pilgrims who were scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim.

The pilgrims were scheduled to cross over to the Chinese side on June 19 but had failed to do so due to inclement weather. They had waited at the base camp and tried to cross again on June 23 but were denied permission by the Chinese officials.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said that some difficulties were being experienced in the movement of pilgrims through Nathu La and that India is taking up the matter with China.