Context: Recently seven people were killed while 20 others have been rescued after five or six vehicles along with 20-30 tourists were hit by an avalanche near Nathu La.
About Nathu La:
- Nathu La is a mountain pass in the Himalayan peaks that co-joins Sikkim and China.
- It is one of the highest motorable roads in the world situated on the Indo-Tibetan border 14450 ft. above sea level.
- Nathu means ‘listening ears’, and La means ‘pass’. Nathu La is one of the three open trading border posts between India and China.
- The temperature here remains low for most parts Located on the Old Silk Route, Nathu La Pass connects Sikkim to China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
- It was sealed for almost 4 decades after the People’s Republic of China suppressed a Tibetan uprising in 1959.
- However, when the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited China in 2003, talks to open the strategic route were resumed in 2006 and since then, it has served as an official Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) Point.
- Since it is one of the three open trading border posts between India and China, Nathu La Pass has played a key role in the Sino-Indian Trade.
- It has also shortened the distance between the important Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage sites, thus strengthening the economy and improving border relations with China.
- A valid permit to visit Nathu La Pass is given to only Indian Nationals.
