The Hindu : Front Page : Sino-Indian celebration of freedom, friendship

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 16, 2006

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Front Page

Sino-Indian celebration of freedom, friendship

Sushanta Talukdar

BONHOMIE: Indian and Chinese armymen celebrating Independence Day on the LAC on Tuesday. — Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

Bumla (India-China border): The traditional Assamese drums were beaten, buffalo horns were blown and the Bihu dance was performed on Tuesday morning at this frontier post at an altitude of 15,500 feet located on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the India-China border. This time, the ritual was not to welcome the new Assamese calendar year but to welcome a delegation of China's People Liberation Army (PLA) who joined hands with the Indian Army to celebrate the Independence Day.

Assamese youth kept the Chinese delegation spellbound with a spectacular presentation of the traditional Bihu dance. Colonel Li Ming, who headed the Chinese delegation, the PLA officers, their wives and children applauded the performance.

As Brigadier Sanjay Kulkarni hoisted the tricolour with a pipeband of the Army playing the National Anthem, Colonel Ming took position along with two other Staff Officers of the PLA, Colonel Lalit Rai, deputy leader of the Indian delegation, and two other staff officers to salute the Indian flag. Bumla, 37 km off the border town Tawang in Arunchal Pradesh fell to China during the Sino-India conflict in 1962.

Although no note, address or e-mail was exchanged in strict adherence of the do's and don'ts issued by the Army, currencies and coins were exchanged towards the end of the two-and-half-hour bonhomie-filled session. Family members as well as officers and soldiers from both the sides posed with each other for photographs. Children from both sides posed for photographs with toys and other gifts presented to them by the Army and the PLA.

In their formal closing addresses, Brigadier Kulkarni and Colonel Ming expressed the hope that such interactions on important events was a step forward in improving relations, peace and friendship between the countries. The Chinese delegation was given a warm send off at the Heap of Stones on the McMahon line. Immediately after the flag hoisting, the two delegations had a meeting of Border Personnel Meeting to discuss border issues. The next BPM will be on October 1 when PLA observes the Chinese National Day.

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