The Hindu : National : A historic display of bonhomie

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

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National

A historic display of bonhomie

By Sushanta Talukdar

— Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

WARMTH AT HEIGHTS: A Chinese army delegation crosses the border to take part in the Independence Day celebration in Bumla at a height of 15,500 feet above sea level, around 450 km from Itanagar, capital of Arunachal Pradesh.

BUMLA (INDIA-CHINA BORDER), AUG. 15. As the nation celebrated the 58th Independence Day today, this strategic border post in Arunachal Pradesh, at an altitude of 15,500 feet, in the eastern-most part witnessed a historic event.

A delegation of officers and soldiers of the Chinese Army - the People's Liberation Army (PLA) -- accompanied by their family members, crossed over the border to take part in the celebrations.

The 46-member delegation, led by Col. Ding Jiang, arrived on the other side of the border around 9.20 a.m.

They were received and escorted by a team of Indian Army officers, from the actual border post as the Pipe Band of the 5 Gorkha Regiment played welcome tunes. Then the delegation reached the Bumla Hut 100 yards away, where the flag-hoisting ceremony and other programmes were arranged.

As part of the reception arranged by the Indian Army, 21 children waved the Tricolour and the Chinese flag as the delegation walked past them.

Flag hoisted

After they were received by Brig. P.S. Paul, the Chinese and Indian Army officials lined up for the hoisting of the Tricolour with a Chinese flag fluttering nearby.

All those present saluted when Brig. Paul hoisted the flag amidst singing of the National Anthem by children of Manjushree Orphanage of Tawang, a headquarters town about 37 km of this border post. Beijing is 4,196 km from Bumla.

The ceremony was followed by a brief but special in-camera Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) of Army officers from both sides.

Photo session

The message from the Chinese side was that the two nations should strengthen the bond of friendship. The Indian side was overwhelmed by the response of the Chinese delegation. After the flag-hoisting ceremony, officers, their family members and soldiers posed for photographs.

The photo session, which was informal but spontaneous, virtually continued till the end of the programme. Some of the Chinese officers and soldiers exchanged Chinese currency and coins with the Indian Army personnel and mediapersons.

The message

During their closing address, the heads of the delegations had the same message to convey — the two nations and the two armies need to continue and strengthen friendship. They expressed the hope that today's event, though a small step, would play a significant role towards the ongoing efforts to improve relations. The two sides also raised a toast.

The bonhomie between the armies started on August 15 last year with a delegation of the PLA taking part in the celebration of the Indian Independence Day.

During the routine BPM on May 30 last year, the Chinese side expressed their desire for a more informal interaction between the families of the troops. The Indian side invited the Chinese delegation for a Special Border Meeting on the Independence Day.

However, this was the first time that the media was allowed to cover this special celebration. The Chinese also invited the Indian delegation to take part in celebration of their National Day on October 1 on their side of the border. Indian mediapersons were also invited.

The Chinese delegation exchanged gifts. Gifts were given to children from the Manjushree Orphange who presented a cultural programme.

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