Jelepla
Sandip C. Jain
The Sino-Indian trade through Nathula Pass is definitely not for the weak hearted - not just merely for the fact that the trade will be conducted in one of the harshest possible terrains of the world but for several other reasons.
My friend, a senior journalist in Sikkim who has been following the proposed opening of the trade route very closely, says that at the moment probably the only people seemingly profiting from the proposed trade are the heart specialists of Siliguri and Gangtok!! The latest postponement of the opening date (from the 2nd of October 2005 to March 2006) has probably sent another group of over eager traders to these heart specialists, unable to cop up with the tremendous stress and strains that the constant deferment is causing them.
While how much Sikkim will actually benefit from the opening of the trade route is yet to be seen, one thing that is certain is that Sikkim and the Sikkimese people are extremely lucky for having people at the highest level pushing for their interest. The Nathula route despite not being the most favourable one was still the ultimate choice not because of any other reason but for the fact that Chamling and his cabinet played the right cards and spoke to the right people in favour of this route.
The Jelepla route, though being the traditional one and also an all weather one ( the Nathula route is open for only about half the year), was not even considered simply because of the fact that no one was there to speak for its benefits. While the West Bengal government is hardly concerned which of the two Passes was opened ( after all Siliguri will benefit either way irrespective of which Pass opens) what is surprising is that neither the DGHC nor the local MP or for that matter the local Chamber of Commerce ( which is useless any way), did anything to press our case. Kalimpong once the hub of trade with Tibet has now been relegated to such a distant background that it has all but disappeared from the radar, as far as the Tibet trade is concerned and we have no one but ourselves to blame. How can we expect to have a bite of the pie when we did not even asks for it in the first place - after all even a mother does not feed her child till it cries.
But I am of the opinion that all is still not lost. Infact Kalimpong being bypassed as far as the trade is concerned could be a blessing in disguise for now we can always press for the opening of the Jelepla Pass as a tourist destination. We probably have more to gain if Jelepla is opened for the tourists rather than for the traders. Think of all the employment it will generate and all the revenue that it will rake in for the town. It would do for Kalimpong tourism what the opening of the Nathula did for tourism in Sikkim.
The benefits and the rewards are too lucrative for us to let this opportunity slip by.
Lets hope our leaders speak for us in this regard before its too late again!!!