Indian, Chinese officials accelerate efforts to restore agreements by Kailash Manasarovar Yatra

Manasarovar Yatra was once held between June and September each year until China withdrew its facilities to visit Indians during the Covid-19-19 pandemic, and Yatra was suspended due to actual control of local tensions following the 2020 Galwan killing. Image source: Hindu

Indian and Chinese officials are speeding up efforts to reboot the annual pilgrimage, which has been suspended since 2019 as pilgrimage deadlines for Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.

Manasarovar Yatra was once held between June and September each year until China withdrew its facilities for Indians to visit Indians during the 19th pandemic, and Yatra was suspended due to actual control of local tensions following the 2020 Galvan killing.

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In the past few years, Indian authorities will build a computerized lottery system in the first week of May to select pilgrims, and officials say they are eager to complete the first agreement to restore Manasarovar Yatra to avoid risking delays in delaying the process or reducing seasonal travel.

Sources said that over the past few weeks, the two sides have discussed in detail the recovery of Kailash Manasarovar and expected a breakthrough “quickly.” According to officials, the negotiations closed the gap on huge issues, including inspections of infrastructure between the two sides and restoring logistics systems for a smooth travel process.

Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang discussed the recovery of the pilgrimage process during a meeting at the G20 summit in Brazil, in order to meet in October 2024 in Hasha. The issue is also discussed in an unusual move by the working mechanism of the Coordination and Advisory for India-China Border Affairs, which usually focuses on defense and border management issues, suggesting pressure from both sides on restarting YATRA this year.

“(The sides) exchanged views on the early recovery of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including in the cross-border rivers and Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra,” a press statement issued after this year’s 33rd WMCC meeting.

Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Home Affairs; Indian Tibetan Border Police; Delhi, Sikkim and Uttarakhand governments; and state institutions including Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam. The pilgrimage continued until 2020, with two formal routes through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand (since 1981) and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim (since 1981).

“The government will continue to address this issue in its engagement with the Chinese authorities,” Foreign Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh told Parliament in response to questions about the December 2024 pilgrimage.