Chanda Bahadur Singh, Bhakta Singh, Hikmat Singh, Umesh Singh and Mahendra Singh of Jai Prithvi Municipality-1, Kailash have been living on the Tibetan land near the Nepal-China border for 16 days. On July 5, they left home to fetch water from Mansarovar in Tibet. They were now on their way to Tibet to bring Mansarovar water for the Kulpuja of Mashta deity, which has been stopped for five years after the blockade by China due to Corona.

On the fifth day of walking from home, they were sent back from the Chinese security post in Tizm near Kathan in Tibet. Entry is not permitted now. The Chinese security personnel sent us back to come back after opening," said Chanda Bahadur Singh, who was in the team. "After that, we walked for a day and came here on a steep cliff. We are in a big problem.' Stating that the samal that they carried has run out, he also said that they are now eating the samal brought by the newcomers. 

Doko, Bhakari, Mandra and others from Nigalo, who went to sell goods in Taklakot, the team of seven people including Gorakh Lama, Khimlal Lama of Saipal Rural Municipality were also sent back by the Chinese security personnel in Tizm . Now they have walked for two days from there and are heading towards Hilsa Naka in Humla. "Rather than waiting to see when it will be opened, we have walked there to see if we can go through Hilsa," said Gorakh on the phone from Touwen in Humla, "Many other people have pitched tents in places to go after the opening of the border." He also said that more than 100 people are living in Chaurapani, Kalanga and other places.

'Many people are stranded on the road . "Some of the people who are facing problems have started returning without going there," said Manvir Bohra, chairman of the bordering Saipal Rural Municipality, "the same number of people are also going to China." But not a single person has been allowed to enter there.' He said that they have been in constant contact with the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate to facilitate the entry into China, but they have not been successful. 

111 people, including 10 women from Bajhang, have taken China entry permit from the district administration office. Chief District Officer Vishwamitra Kuinkel said that most of them are people who bring water from Mansarovar Lake in Tibet and local traders. Taklakot is not allowed to enter now. I have informed everyone to go after the opening,'' Kuinkel said, 'most of them have already gone because they have to walk in the place given by our deity . They are not allowed to enter there.' He also said that they have received information that they will be allowed to enter only on July 24.

China's Taklakot Market   . Photo : Vasant Pratap Singh/Kantipur 

On the other hand, Jagat Tamang, a businessman from Bajhang in Taklakot, Tibet, said that the Taklakot administration had informed him that the bridge and road were being paved over the Lukpu river at the border crossing towards Bajhang. According to him, the Public Security Bureau, Foreign Affairs Office in Taklakot has given the information to enter through Bajhang border only on 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th and 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd of every English month.

They have said that they will not allow entry even on the opening day until the construction work is completed. It is not possible to say when the work will be completed," Tamang told Kantipur. "After the construction is completed, we will let you come to Taklakot only on the specified day. He told them not to come to bring water from Mansarovar as the policy of the Tibetan administration is to allow entry from Bajhang to Taklakot only. 

A few days ago, some people from Humla escaped by illegally transporting herbs to Tibet through Bajhang, and citing the same reason, the Tibetan administration was reluctant to allow people to enter through the Bajhang border, said Bajhang businessman Tamang. He said that after the incident, more than 2,000 sheep and goats, which were taken to graze in the Tibetan area, were also returned. "Now it's not like before". "There is a lot of strictness here," he said. Otherwise there will only be sorrow.' 

Bajhang's religious, commercial and cultural relations with Tibet have been disrupted after the border was closed five years ago due to the Covid-19 infection. The puja of more than 200 temples in Bajhang has also been stopped due to not being able to bring water from Mansarovar. 

Similarly, the business of many people who used to sell handicrafts and handicrafts, Timur, Uva, Barley, Gurans, Lentils, Chillies, etc. produced in the village and the goods brought back from there to the village has also been closed . The friendly relations between the sheep breeders of Saipal, Diyanot, Mashta, Khaptadchanna, Chabis, Durgathali rural municipality and Bungal and Jayaprithvi municipalities with the local Tibetan villages are also in crisis . The relationship of some of the families here is still continuous for seven/eight generations. 

Sino-Nepal border post at Urai in Bajhang 

After the closure of Urai border, those who are earning seasonal jobs in Tibet are also now unemployed . Before Corona, the local people here were earning good income by working as seasonal wage earners. Young people from here used to go to Taklakot and nearby villages every year to work in unloading wagon loads, spinning wool, carrying heavy loads, cutting banana, Uwabali (crops that grow in high mountains like barley) and construction work. 

They used to earn from 150 to 300 yuan (about 2500 to 5500 Nepalese rupees) for doing daily labor based on the nature and efficiency of the work. Locals say that those who work here for four/five months of the rainy season earn good money, but after the closure of the border, that way of income has also been closed . "He used to earn four/five lakh rupees in one season by cutting expenses". After the closure of the checkpoint, that too has been stopped," said Saipal's former president Rajendra Dhami, "when Taklakot was open, no youth in the village was empty-handed. Now everyone has become unemployed.'

After the border treaty between Nepal and China in 1961, with the agreement to demarcate the border on the basis of watershed, the large land of Nepal up to Salsuganga (Tibet Karnali) fell towards Tibet. However, in the border treaty, there is a provision that those living in the border area can travel up to 30 kilometers from the other country based on the permit issued by the local administration to carry out traditional activities. 

Locals and people's representatives of Bajhang are now going to the Daily Singh Darbar to create pressure saying that this checkpoint should be opened and operated. Although they have met the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister etc. and informed them about this problem time and time again, no solution has been found yet.