New Year greetings shared at 10 China border points
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 1
In what could seem like thaw in India-China relations, troops of either side on Saturday exchanged sweets and greetings at 10 separate locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to mark the New Year. Six of these locations where greetings were exchanged are in eastern Ladakh, two in Sikkim and two in Arunachal Pradesh.
The gesture by both sides came in the midst of a standoff that commenced in May 2020. Sweets were exchanged in Ladakh at the Karakoram (KK) pass that leads to Xinjiang, Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), Bottleneck, Kongka La, Chushul Moldo and Hot springs in Demchok. The last one is not be confused with Hot Springs that is west of the Pangong Tso and the two sides were locked in standoff. The six locations cover the entire 832 km LAC in Ladakh. The Karokaram pass being the northernmost tip while the Demchok being the southernmost point.
Some of these locations, like bottle neck, Konka La, KK Pass Hotsprings, are not the traditional border meeting points of the two countries but are the positions were troops are in close vicinity.
In Sikkim, the two sides exchanged greetings at Nathu La and Kongra La. In Arunchal Pradesh, the locations were Bum La and Wanchai Damai. Separately, troopers of India and Pakistan exchanged greetings at multiple locations along the Line of Control.
