Indian Army, China’s PLA meet at I-Day function at Nathu La

Aug 15, 2018
New Delhi:The Indian Army and China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday jointly celebrated the 72nd Independence Day at a pecial meeting of border personnel at Nathu La in the Sikkim sector.

The meeting was aimed at boosting mutual trust and promoting peace, the Defence Ministry said.

The PLA delegation, comprising several officers and soldiers, attended the celebration following an invitation.

“The celebration took place in an atmosphere of warmth and friendship, with an aim of enhancing mutual trust and promoting border peace and tranquility,” said a statement from the Ministry.

The two forces had held a similar meeting of border personnel to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the foundation of PLA on August 1.

“Such interactions between the two armies have resulted in enhancement of goodwill and mutual understanding between the two nations,” the statement said.

Beside interactions between the Armies, programmes portraying the cultural diversity of the two countries were presented by both sides on the occasion, said the statement.

Situated at 4,310 metres above sea level, Nathu La — a mountain pass in the Himalayas in East Sikkim district — connects the Indian state of Sikkim with Tibet.

Indian troops deployed in remote and high altitude areas of North Sikkim also celebrated Independence Day by hoisting the national flag at different forward posts with great zeal and enthusiasm.