NEW DELHI: Sikkim MP
Dorjee Tshering Lepcha
on Tuesday asked the central government to reconsider the term ‘
China border
‘ and instead use ‘
Tibet border
.’
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Lepcha argued that the 1,400-kilometer stretch from Leh, Ladakh, and Arunachal Pradesh to Sikkim more accurately borders Tibet rather than China. He urged the Indian government and military agencies, including the Indian Army and the Border Roads Organization (BRO), to officially recognise this distinction.
“This is not the China border.
This is the Tibet border,” Lepcha said.
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Lepcha highlighted that there is a disparity in development along the border regions. He pointed out that while China has built villages and infrastructure on its side, the Indian side primarily consists of reserved forests and wildlife sanctuaries with restricted access.
“Near the border regions, China has built villages, while India has used them for reserved forests and wildlife sanctuaries, and has restricted access,” Lepcha said.
He urged the central government to conduct a comprehensive review and take action to address these developmental disparities.
Additionally, Lepcha called on the Centre to consider reopening the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route via Nathula, which has been closed for some time.
He asked the Centre to issue a directive to its agencies to officially rename the border as the “Tibet border.”