Picture imperfect on Nathu-la

Photography is prohibited in this region but tourist does not care much. Don’t care mentality of the travelers shows when they take the picture of the Nathula in their camera enabled mobile phones. Even the army official does not object to this activities.

The official does not take the mobile phones from the tourists as they do with the camera. A young tourist from Kolkata said, `What damage can a few harmless photograph cause?` Improved technology, it seems, is taking the personnel at the Indo-China border, some 50-km from Gangtok, for a ride. An Indian army official said, `It is unfortunate that some tourist did not take the ban seriously`. `Nathula is a sensitive border post and we know that some tourists are taking snaps using their mobile phone and the photograph in a wrong hands mean a big trouble,` he added. He also said that we should remember that despite talk of religious peace and tranquility, we live in a hostile world`. The trade through this boarder, which has been suspended since 1962 aggression by the Chinese army, may soon start again. An agreement to this effect has been struck by former Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Bajpai with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jibao in June 2003. `China has built a multi-lane highway which runs from Lhasa to Nathula and we have a single road. Is that not reason enough for delaying the opening of the trade route?` asked the officer. The reason why the decision has not been implemented is unknown. A young soldier was agitated when told about the use of mobile phones who was explaining the history and the logistics of the entry points of tourists. He also added that Nathula is not a tourist spot and the tourists are allowed here on permits as a special favour. He told us that he will seize the mobile phones from the tourists if he sees a person with such a phone and he will also report his officer about this practice.

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