Ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to India later this month, military officials of the two countries held parleys at Bum La to promote confidence building measures and keep the border free from tension.
Three decades of calm at the Line of Actual Control in the Himalayas was reflected when a six-member Indian Army delegation, headed by Brigadier Sanjay Kulkarni, crossed the border early on Monday for a meeting with personnel of the Chinese Border Defence Regiment -- a paramilitary organisation set up on the lines of India's Border Security force.
That the two armies facing each other across over 3,000 km ardous border have developed a camaraderie since 1999 was evident as Kulkarni sought the assistance of the Chinese border guards in tracing a Arunachal Pradesh youth Chhabe Chhagar reportedly missing and feared to have strayed across the border.
These border meetings -- held at Ladakh, Nathu La in Sikkim and Bum La -- have now been institutionalised and are likely to play a more crucial role as India and China seek more military-to-military interaction.
India had proposed greater interaction, including holding of joint exercises, during the then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to China earlier this year.
Currently, the border meetings are held four times a year -- on May 30 and October 30, India's Independence Day and China's National Day on October 1.
Kulkarni led a six-member delegation, which along with a group of journalists crossed into Chinese territory where they were welcomed by Chinese Border Defence Regiment Col Li Ming An.
"These meetings are a part of confidence building measures to ensure no untoward situation takes place along the border," Kulkarni said.
A host of local issues like missing civilians, accidental border crossings, tresspassings and straying of cattle across the border were raised by both the sides during the meeting.
"The purpose of the meeting is to ensure peace and tranquility along the border," said Kulkarni who heads the 190 Mountain Brigade based in Tawang in Kameng sector, which was overrun by the Chinese in the 1962 war.
Their Chinese hosts feted the Indian delegation to delectable Chinese cuisine and famous rice wine.
These interactions besides talks are also marked by the holding of friendly volleyball matches and games of chess, exchange of gifts and as per the tradition, the Indian delegation returned with gifts and memorabilia in the form of photographs.
India and China have already exchanged maps of the central sector of the MacMohan Line and are in the process of exchanging perceived border maps of the eastern and western sectors.
Earlier, the two sides used to hold flag meetings. Now, these have been instutionalised under the 1999 protocol.
