Indian traders bear the brunt

GANGTOK, 12 Oct: Indian traders at the Nathula border are a worried lot. With trade suspended for now, there are stocks to be cleared, dues pending and payments to be made and collected as well.
The arrest of a Chinese national by the Indian authorities has not gone down well with them. In fact a murmur of discontent seems to exist among them especially pertaining to the “extreme” action of the ITBP in picking up the 20-year-old Langki Jiancen.
A delegation of border traders met with the SP East, Dr. MS Tuli today and also met with officials of various other security agencies. The SP East informed that the traders enquired about the status of the case. Furthermore, he also stated that the charge sheet of the case was submitted today itself.
It was further clarified that there was no demand to withdraw the case as was being suspected in light of the effect it was having on the border trade. Traders have been complaining about how this was already affecting business.
“The trade suffered in the opening weeks and now with just over a month to go problems are again arising” said a trader. Traders are concerned about clearing their stocks and dues as well which is imperative for them with just about a month to go.
On the other hand a handful of concerned Chinese had grouped up at the Nathula border gate today to enquire about the condition of Langki. The ITBP posted at the border were of no help as they were not able to respond in any fashion which only aggravated their apprehensions. Some of the locals around the area were trying to explain to them the workings of the Indian penal system.