Protest outside Chinese embassy for suspending Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage through Nathu La

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, July 5: Members of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), an economic wing of the Sangh Parivar stormed the Chinese embassy in New Delhi after Beijing suspended Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route through Nathu La pass.

Dozens of SJM members protested outside the Chinese embassy in the national capital yesterday, reports The New Indian Express.

The members of SJM called for boycott of Chinese goods and shouted slogans against China’s anti-India policies, specially the suspension of Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage from Nathu La pass.

Image - EPS
Image – EPS

“China’s anti- India policy will not be accepted by us anymore. They sent back the pilgrims who were going to Kailash Mansarovar, this shows that China is not a friend of India, people should boycott their products,” Jaspreet Singh Matta, State executive member of SJM was quoted as saying in the report.

India and China were at loggerheads over border issues and the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang claimed that the Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage through the Nathu La route has been suspended owing to illegal entry of Indian troops and out of security concern in earlier reports.

The suspended Nathu La route is the second one opened by China for the Indian pilgrims to Mount Kailash in Tibet. The other route, Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand is more grueling, still remains open.

A total of 1,430 devotees are set to undertake the pilgrimage in 25 batches this year. Of the 25 batches, eighteen batches with around 60 pilgrims were to visit Mt. Kailash (Tib: Gang Rinpoche) and Mansarovar lake (Tib: Mapham Youtso) through Lipulekh pass route while the rest were to take the newly-opened Nathu La (Sikkim) route over the next four months.

But China’s move to cancel the pilgrimage through Nathu La pass has left the devotees who are to take the Nathu La (Sikkim) route in the lurch. Mt Kailash is considered holy by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.