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Gangtok, Oct. 17: Nathu-la recorded no trade today after an Indo-Tibetan Border Police jawan and a Chinese trader entered into a scuffle over parking a vehicle.
The Indian businessmen alleged that the ITBP personnel used “foul language” against them.
“Around 10.30am today, 26 vehicles from the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) reached Sherathang Mart with goods. Soon after, an ITBP jawan asked one of the traders to park his vehicle away from the police camp gate and this led to an argument between the two and a scuffle followed,” said a source.
The Chinese trader has been identified as Tanur, 20.
After the incident, some ITBP jawans allegedly used “foul language” against Indian businessmen who were travelling towards the border for the day’s trade.
Fifteen Nathu-la-bound vehicles carrying Indian traders did not go to the border pass in protest.
“The attitude of the ITBP personnel at the border is not good at all. They are harsh and sometimes use offensive language. A woman named Tseten from China fell unconscious after she saw the fight between the jawan and the Chinese businessman,” said a trader.
According to official sources, no business was conducted in Nathu-la and Sherathang, 6km away today.
Later, the ITBP jawan involved in the parking row apologised to Chinese traders.
“The ITBP jawan tendered a written apology. But by then Chinese traders had gone back without doing any business,” said an Indian trader.
A senior officer at the ITBP headquarters in Gangtok said it was a “minor altercation at a personal level and it has been settled”.
“I directed an officer to intervene and the matter was resolved. The jawan had told the trader to park his vehicle in a nearby area so that it does not create any inconvenience for other traders,” he said.
Trade in Nathu-la started on May 1 this year and would continue till November 30.
No business was conducted at Nathu-la for almost two weeks after landslides hit JN Nehru Marg that leads to the border pass.
Last week, Chinese businessmen did not take part in trading for a day to protest the arrest of Langta Jiancan, 20.
The businessman was arrested after he was found taking pictures in the prohibited areas at Nathu-la. District collectorate (east), D. Anandan, said over 300 businessmen had taken permits for trading in Nathu-la this year.
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