Dehradun: After five years, China has reopened 14 trade routes along the Nepal border, including routes near the villages of Changru and Tinkar in Nepal, close to India’s Pithoragarh district. While Nepalese traders are now conducting business with China, Indian traders have not been granted permission to resume trade through the Lipulekh Pass. However, Indian pilgrims and local communities have found a way to end their reliance on trade with China.
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For centuries, the people of Uttarakhand’s Darma and Vyas valleys in Pithoragarh district have traded with Tibet. In 2019, China closed its borders with India and Nepal, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving millions of rupees’ worth of Indian goods stranded in Tibet’s Taklakot (Burang) region, resulting in significant losses for Indian traders. Recently, while China has allowed Nepalese traders to resume cross-border trade, Indian traders are still excluded.
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Over the past five years, the Indian government has strengthened the road network in the Darma, Vyas, and Milam valleys of Pithoragarh. This infrastructure development has led to a significant increase in tourism, bringing pilgrims and trekkers to areas like Adi Kailash and Om Parvat, creating new employment opportunities for local communities. Homestays are rapidly being established in the region, reducing local dependence on Tibetan trade.
Balwant Singh, a resident of Darma Valley, explains, “The closure of trade with Tibet caused us significant losses, and much of our goods were left behind with no compensation. But since the arrival of Prime Minister Modi, the number of tourists and pilgrims visiting Adi Kailash and Om Parvat has surged, which has helped revive our economy. The opening of homestays has brought life back on track.”
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Meanwhile, across the border in Nepal, traders from Changru and Tinkar villages have resumed trade with China. They transport goods like jaggery and sugar candy to China’s Taklakot, returning with items such as shoes, jackets, and yak tails. Dhanraj Singh Garbyal, who runs a small eatery in the Indian village of Garbyang, recalls how his ancestors traded through the Lipulekh Pass for centuries. “Trade with Tibet stopped after the 1962 war with China, but it resumed under restrictions in 1992. However, it came to a halt again in 2019 due to the pandemic.”
