India opens Cho La, Dok La passes in Sikkim for battlefield tourism on China border
GUWAHATI: India on Monday opened the historic Cho La and Dok La passes in Sikkim, formally introducing battlefield tourism along the China border under the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan initiative. Doklam came into focus in 2017 following a border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops, while Cho La is among the sites where Indian and Chinese forces clashed in 1967. The Northeast has several such battlefields, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang flagged off 25 motorbikes and vehicles to mark the opening of the two passes. A joint initiative of the Indian Army and the Ministry of Tourism, Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan allows citizens to visit historic war zones and sites of military significance. The objective is to enable people to experience Indias military history and honour the sacrifices of soldiers. Historic battlefields, often located in challenging and remote terrains, resonate with tales of extraordinary valour and supreme sacrifice. To enhance accessibility and awareness of these sites, the Ministry of Tourism and the Army Adventure Wing came together on 24.07.2025 to discuss collaborative strategies to develop these sites as tourism products, the Ministry of Tourism said. Tamang said the opening of Cho La and Dok La passes was part of the Centres Vibrant Village Programme, which aims to strengthen border area tourism and create livelihood opportunities for local communities through regulated tourism activities. The initiative seeks to open strategically significant border areas through regulated tourism while highlighting their historical and military importance, the chief minister said. He said he was confident that the programme, envisioned under the broader concept of battlefield tourism, would spread awareness among people about the valour and sacrifices of the armed forces and foster a sense of patriotism among visitors. The chief minister said the initiative had been made possible through coordination among the central government, the state government and Army authorities. I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji because his mission has been to first develop the last villages. We are formally reopening Cho La Pass and Dok La Pass from today to promote local tourism, Tamang said. He added that infrastructure development in the area was under way and that the required facilities would be provided to support tourism activities. The states Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism), C.S. Rao, said the department had been working towards opening the passes for tourism over the past two months in coordination with Army authorities to ensure the safe and smooth movement of tourists. He added that while infrastructure development was still in progress, basic facilities had already been put in place.
11 C
