Stating that Chinese troops were “active” in the Bara Hoti area of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday confirmed that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had transgressed the area earlier this month.
The transgression came to light when Chamoli district officials had gone to Bara Hoti on July 19 to collect data on land holdings. They noticed Chinese troops on the ground while an attack helicopter even hovered over the area for five minutes before returning to their side.
According to a Home Ministry official, the PLA troops told the Indian officials to go back as the area belonged to them. They told the Indian team that they recognise the area as ‘Wu-Je.’
The official said the Chinese helicopter could have carried out aerial photography of Bara Hoti. “Activities of Chinese troops were noted by our officials in Bara Hoti area during their recent visit to the place to mark the revenue land,” Mr. Rawat told the media.
Canal not crossed
The PLA troops, however, did not cross the canal in Bara Hoti that has become the unofficial demarcation line between India and China. “Thankfully, they didn’t cross the nallah,” Mr. Rawat said. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the Indo-Tibetan Border Police had been asked to look into the matter.“We shall seek a detailed report to identify what activity was going on. Only if the Chinese enter our borders it will be called an intrusion,” he said.
.“We shall seek a detailed report to identify what activity was going on. Only if the Chinese enter our borders it will be called an intrusion,” Mr Rijiju said.
Stating that the issue was of “serious concern,” Mr. Rawat said his government had been requesting the Centre to increase vigilance in Bara Hoti. “I believe the Central government will take cognisance of the activities at Bara Hoti,” Mr Rawat said.
This is not the first time Chinese activity has been noticed along the 350-km Sino-India border.
