As part of the Battlefield Tourism program, Sikkim grants visitors access to the Cho La and Dok La Border Passes

The opening is a component of the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan program, a joint effort by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Tourism to improve access to historically significant and previously closed border regions through controlled tourism.  The Cho La and Dok La passes along the India-China border in Sikkim have been formally opened to tourists in a major step to boost battlefield and border tourism. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang launched the effort on Monday, marking the beginning of controlled visitor access with a caravan of 25 cars and motorcycles from Gangtok’s Ridge Park. Tshering Thendup Bhutia, the Sikkim Tourism Minister, and CS Rao, the Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism & Aviation), were among the officials who accompanied him.  These high-altitude passes have profound historical value and are situated at key locations along the border. Cho La was a crucial theatre during the 1967 Indo-China conflicts, while Dok La, at about 15,600 feet, was the scene of a tense military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in 2017.  The opening is a component of the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan program, a joint effort by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Tourism to improve access to historically significant and previously closed border regions through controlled tourism. In addition to showcasing the country’s military history, the program is anticipated to provide local communities with employment possibilities and increase public awareness of the sacrifices made by India’s armed services, according to an agency report.  A new chapter in cultural and adventure tourism in the northeastern borders has been ushered in by authorities who remarked that meticulous coordination with the Indian Army and national government agencies has enabled safe, regulated movement for visitors in these sensitive high-altitude sites.