Indian traders overwhelmed with Chinese gesture

Gangtok, Jul 8: The Indian traders, who had gone to Renquinggang trade mart in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China on the inaugural day of the reopening of Nathu La, were overwhelmed with the way the Chinese welcomed them.

Sikkim Chamber of Commerce president S K Sarda, who was one of the several traders to cross the border on that day to see the facilities provided by the Chinese and assess the business potential, said as many as 300 people assembled there to welcome them.

They gave the Indian businessmen a warm welcome and some old timers burst into tears with joy.

Mr Sarda said since most of the Tibetan refugees settled in Sikkim after the political disturbances in Tibet, the reopening of the Nathu La rekindled the hope of seeing and interacting with their relatives.

They were competing with each other to take photographs of the Indian photographers and to be photographed with them.

Though language was a problem as both Chinese and the Indians could not speak or understand each other but their gesture indicated their excitement and happiness, he said.

Mr Sarda was all praise for the infrastructure set up by the Chinese in the trade mart. He said the architectural design of the mart was very beautiful and all modern facilities were provided in it.

He said the Chinese were very optimistic about the future of the trade and were working to develop the infrastrcture for it.

Mr Sarda said the construction work of the road from Renquinggang to Nathula was going on in a breakneck speed and plantation work was on both sides of the road.

Mr Sarda said the Indian traders took the samples of tea, rice, wheat and prices from India and brought the samples of raw wool, boreaux and silk from China. But the Chinese traders failed to quote price of tradable goods.

'' Everybody is in a learning stage and it will take at least two to three weeks to get familiarised with the process of international trade, '' he said.

Besides, language, currency posed another problem, when the Indian businessmen purchased some goods and wanted to pay in dollars the Chinese businessmen refused to accept it and insisted that they should be paid in yuans.

Mr Sarda requested the Sikkim government to launch a bus service between Gangtok and Nathu La and the TAR authorities to launch a similar service from Renquinggang to Nathula on all the four days of trading for the convenience of traders.

He also wanted authorities to make provisions to allow the traders to stay for a couple of days in either side of the border to help the traders build confidence and better interaction.

A leading business of Gangtok Motilal Lakhotia said the trade mart in Renquinggang had all the basic amenities, including accommodation for about 10 to 12 persons restaurants, clean rest rooms, car parking zones and communication facilities.

'' Infrastrcture on the otherside of the border was much beyind my expectation, '' Mr Lakhotia, who did business through the route before closure of the route in 1962, said.

UNI

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