Uttarakhand Govt confirms incursion of Chinese troops at Barahoti

Hindustan Times

Dehradun : The Uttarakhand government has confirmed the report of a recent intrusion by 21 Chinese troops into the Indian territory at Barahoti in Chamoli district of the state. Principal secretary (home) Uttarakhand, Om Prakash said the Chinese troops did intrude in the Barahoti area. "The detailed report is being sent to the centre by the state government" Om Prakash told HT. He added that it is the prerogative of the central government to increase troop presence in the area.The Barahoti area is a pastoral tract of land and the Hoti River flows through it. 

Chief minister of Uttarakhand Vijay Bahuguna had pointed out at the meeting of the chief ministers on internal security held in New Delhi that the Chinese troops have intruded into Uttarakhand 37 times from 2007 till date. Uttarakhand shares a 350km long border with China.China first protested the presence of Indian troops at Barahoti, which they called as Wu je, in 1954. Later, a series of events and incursions laid the foundation of the first Sino Indian war. In 2011, a dozen Chinese soldiers came to Barahoti on horseback.

After the Indo-China war, the government of India had decided to train villagers from border villages as SSB Guerillas with the intention that they would serve as a line of defense at the time of aggression by China.

But the guerillas are themselves on a war-path with the government demanding permanent employment.

Former Army commander lieutenant general (retd) HB Kala said there is need of around two more divisions, one helicopter unit and one mechanised brigade unit in Uttarakhand for curbing the incursions by the Chinese troops."There is also need to seal the borders with Nepal as China would further befriend Nepal in the future and come near Gorakhpur and places as Barahoti", he pointed out.