Indo-Tibet commerce set to resume via Shipki La from June, says Himachal minister

Traditional Indo-Tibet trade, suspended during the Covid pandemic in 2020, is set to resume through the Shipki La pass in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district from June this year, state tribal development and revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Sunday.He said earlier restrictions due to security concerns and other factors had prevented tourists and traders from accessing the border areas. With curbs now easing, the resumption of trade is expected to boost commercial activity and generate employment in Kinnaur and adjoining regions.Negi told PTI that traditional trading activities had remained in limbo for several years and local traders’ unions and associations had repeatedly demanded their revival. He expressed hope that trade would restart in June, once weather conditions improve.The minister also urged the Union government to develop the Shipki La road to facilitate the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, noting that construction of just 3–4 km of connectivity would enable a smoother and shorter journey.He said Kailash-Mansarovar holds great religious importance for followers of Hindu, Bodh and Jain faiths and opening this route would also encourage adventure tourism and increase tourist inflow. Negi added that Members of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh should raise the demand with the Centre.Indo-Tibetan trade has a long history. A formal treaty signed in 1697 between Tibet (Ganden Phodrang) and Raja Kehari Singh of Bushahar ensured safe passage and strengthened long-term trade ties, with commerce conducted on a barter basis along the old Hindustan-Tibet road.Tibetan traders traditionally brought wool, sheep, salt, yak tails and raw silk, while Indian traders exported copperware, rice, textiles, tea and agricultural tools. Trade was based on “gamgya”, a traditional oath of mutual trust, rather than written contracts.The exchange was largely halted after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Limited, regulated trade resumed in 1994 after several decades but was again discontinued during the Covid pandemic in 2020.