Nakchelangna border point closed for two decades

By Hari Krishna Aidi,Mugu, May 18: The Nakchelangna border point in northern Mugu, which connects the district with Tibet, has remained closed for the past two decades. 

Due to the closure of the border point, locals of the border areas and communities across the district have faced hardship.

Karma Lama, the then ward chairperson of Ward 2 of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality said two decades ago, the Chinese local government used to open the Tibetan Nakchelangna border for five months annually for trade and market activities. 

However, the Chinese government now opens the border only once a year for just one week, he said.

Locals of the bordering villages in Mugu, as well as people from neighbouring districts, are suffering greatly, he added. 

Due to the prolonged closure of the border, which once allowed for the import and export of goods from Tibet, locals of wards 1 to 9 of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality, including villages such as Chitai, Dolpu Mugu, Karti, Kimri, Khari, Takha, Daura, Serog, Pua, Rius, Mah, and Magri, have faced challenges due to the limited trade window.

Local social worker Gyangyaw Lama from Ward 6 of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality said that due to the inability to import and export goods from Tibet, locals have been suffering for years. 

According to Lama, locals have had to transport daily necessities, clothes and other items used in Bhote settlements from Kathmandu and even India, paying high transportation costs. 

He further urged the central government to take swift action to open the border throughout the year to help create employment opportunities for the people of Mugu.

These locals, living close to the Tibetan border, used to travel to Tibet to sell essential goods such as locally produced salt from Chuli, roasted barley from Salgam, buckwheat flour and medicinal herbs. 

In return, they would import ghee, Tibetan tea, liquor, chhurpi (hard cheese), rice, clothes, flour, wool, salt and other food items every year. 

With the border closure, the locals have lost their sources of livelihood.

Chairperson of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality, Chhiring Kyapne Lama, said that the rural municipality has repeatedly sent letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs to take initiative in reopening the border. 

However, the ministry has yet to make any effort to open the border round the year, he added. Meanwhile, Chief District Officer of Mugu, Kamwal Prasad Pandey, said they were coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs to open Nakchelangna border point throughout the year. 

As the border opens only for a week, daily essentials, food grains and sheep and goat supplies have started becoming scarce in Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality. 

“The entire rural municipality had been dependent on Chinese food supplies for years,” said Paljor Lama, a local from Mugum Karmarong-6. 

“After the border closed, locals are facing hardship to manage livelihood.” 

He added that due to the lack of transportation facilities, it is difficult for locals to transport food and daily necessities from the district headquarters Gamgadhi. 

He also said that young people in the area have remained unemployed for years since the closure of the border.