中印察隅边境探险瓦弄发现中国人石刻.docx

1、中印察隅边境探险瓦弄发现中国人石刻The Eastern Frontier of Indiaauthored by Harish Kapadia| published in 2008 The Lohit ValleyNeither me, nor my husband are economists, but we believe firmly that good memories are the soundest investment. That belief was our justification for setting out in 1950 on a major plant hunt

2、ing expedition to the borders of Assam and Tibet, on a wicket that financially was none too sound. At the time we started there was a considerable gap between our estimated expenses and the funds we had raised to cover them. When we returned, after ten eventful months the gap was wider. Some would s

3、ay we were improvident. Perhaps we were, but we have no cause to regret our improvidence, which as long as life lasts will go on paying us rewarding tax-free dividends.(Mrs) Jean Kingdon-Ward. My Hills So Strong, page 13.(Jonathan Cape, London, 1952)We were standing in front of what the Mishmis call

4、 a bridge. In reality, it was a thin tree log fallen across the Sat Ti river. To cross, one had to jump from one branch to another. To make matters more exciting, the river was flowing above the centre of the bridge. Despite months of planning, excitement and a strong desire to reach the Diphu la, i

5、t was impossible to persuade ourselves to cross. If we jumped wrongly or the thin branch broke, we would reach somewhere higher than the pass! To keep the record straight, I, with my age and wobbly knees, was the first to back out. Despite her training and youth, Sangeetha was next (justifying my fe

6、ars). That left only Sashindran to carry on, but he too decided otherwise.There were other reasons for our retreat. The porters talked of two more such bridges ahead, one particularly terrifying almost 100 ft above the river. As we were moving slowly, the porters had less rations than they would nee

7、d for the next ten days. They were reluctant to go down to ferry rations up, and their leader, GB (Gaon Bura), would not assure their safe return. If the unreliable porters did not return with extra rations as intended, we would be stranded in the upper valley with rickety bridges preventing our qui

8、ck returnThe final base camp in the Sat Ti valley was still three days away. From here, we had to climb to the watershed ridge with the Dichu valley to the north. The trail went past a few lakes to reach a high point and then descended to the Taluk pass. The return would be to climb back up to the h

9、igh point, past the lakes and then finally descend to base camp about 2330 m (7600 ft) in 20 km all in one day! There was nowhere to camp near the lakes. We would require at least two camps on the higher plateau before reaching the pass as acclimatisation was also an issue. We were one valley south

10、of the pass and there was no easy route to Diphu la. As the crow flies, we were only 10 km from the pass, but we would have to climb across a high ridge to get there. Such a long day was for a very fit army officer or jawan or even our troublesome but fit porters!1Discretion is better part of the va

11、lour, always, and we decided to return to be safe rather than have trouble like we had in the Dibang valley, where we were caught in a freak storm.1But all was not lost, it never is. We had travelled through a historic area and had been enchanted by lay of the land.The Lohit valley, in eastern Aruna

12、chal Pradesh (formerly NEFA) is deep and thickly wooded. It is the easternmost valley of India. At its eastern extremity the borders of India, China and Burma (Myanmar) meet at what is called the Tri-Junction. North of the tri-junction is Jechep la (pass), which leads to China and to the south lies

13、the Diphu la (also known as Taluk pass) which leads to Burma.The Lohit Valley and its peopleThe Zayul chu and Rongdo chu flow from the north into the vast valley which gradually flattens as it reaches Rima.2 It is so remote that the Chinese had made Rima a penal settlement. Later, as prisoners marri

14、ed the local Tibetans its population grew. The rivers meet at Chayul and flow past Rima to Kahao. Now in Indian territory, the river is called the Lohit. It plunges down to the plains taking many turns en route.A Mishmi lady at Hayuliang. (Harish Kapadia)Heroine inhaled by Mishmi porters every morni

15、ng. (Harish Kapadia)It takes an almost 90-degree turn westward, starting at Minozong (present day Samdul) and ending at Changwity. Not many major rivers are known to take such a bend. With many twists and turns it emerges into the Assamese plains at the holy site of Parshuram Kund. At Hayuliang, two

16、 major tributaries, the Delei and Dau, both originating near the Tibetan border, merge with the Loliit. From the east, the Sat Ti merges with the Loliit at Dong and Ghalum (at Samdul) flows from the watershed and the border with Burma. Each of these valleys leads to a pass, which crosses into Burma.

17、 Once in the plains, the Loliit spreads out and is a robust river, especially in the monsoons. It meets the Dibang and the Siang rivers near Sadiya, from where it is called the Brahmaputra.The lower valleys are inhabited by the Mislimis, a troublesome, fearless and often violent tribe. They are thou

18、ght to have killed Christian priests and brought slaves from the Assam plains to be sold at Rima. Situated on the northwest extremity of the infamous Golden Triangle they have easy access to opium. As there were no roads in the upper Loliit valley (till the early 1970s), they were isolated and a law

19、 unto themselves.Some settlers crossed the Diphu pass from Burma into the Loliit valley and settled in its upper reaches. They are called the Meyors. They are quiet fanners, a gentle tribe. Unlike in other border areas.the Meyors and Mishmis do not have much contact with the Tibetans at Rima or else

20、where. Theravada Buddhism flourishes in the village of Chonkham, which is in the plains. Chonkham, reputed to be one of the richest villages in the northeast, boasts a unique cultural mix that has kept their religion alive so far away from home.3 When we passed through, the village it was in a festi

21、ve mood celebrating Thadinyut.4ExplorationThe Lohit valley is of historical significance for many reasons. Many famous names of exploration visited the valley for its natural wealth, but more to discover the path to the Zayul province, north of here and now in China. The Zayul is easily approachable

22、 from here as the track is along the river and no high pass needs to be crossed.The earliest traveller was the Pandit explorer A. K. (nicknamed Krishna or Rai Bahadur Kishen Singh). The British, unable to enter Tibet, had trained and sent native explorers to these forbidden areas. They brought back

23、a wealth of information for the empire. AK entered Zayul province from the north, having crossed Tibet for many miles. He halted at Rima and finally went down the Lohit to the Assamese plains. He calculated the altitude of most places, from the boiling point of water that he measured on his thermome

24、ter. As later explorations confirmed, these were very close to the accurate heights. F.M. Bailey, who had been with Sir Younghusband on the great Tibet expedition, (1903-04) was in the Lohit valley in 1911-12.5 He entered the Dichu valley near Kahao and stayed at the Hot Springs. His accounts of sho

25、oting takins in the valley are hair-raising. He also explored the Delei and Dau valleys, reaching the head of the latter and crossing the Dau-Dakru pass. The race to find the best route to China brought the next few explorers here. T. T. Cooper, William Griffith, Mr Williamson, Dr Gregorson (the las

26、t two were murdered by the Abors, a fiercely independent tribe), to name a few.The person, who paid the most attention to the Lohit and its surrounding valleys, was Frank Kingdon-Ward. He was a naturalist of great repute, who was usually sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society, London. He explor

27、ed the Lohit and Zayul valleys, and crossed the Dichu valley and Diphu pass (Taluk pass) to Putao (Fort Hertz) in Burma three times. Much of the information we have about the flora and fauna of the area are thanks to him. His observations and plant samples were faithfully recorded in books and store

28、d in the archives of the RGS. His wife, Jean Kingdon-Ward, accompanied him on one of his later trips. Walking from Tezu they reached Kahao, where they spent some delightful days in the Dichu valley at Hot Springs. They also visited Rima from where they obtained supplies from very troublesome and opi

29、um-fed porters. While they were at Kibithu the giant earthquake of 1950, which destroyed much of eastern Arunachal, hit the area. They had a harrowing time retreating through broken trails with no supplies and no porters willing to accompany them. It is not often that a scientist as highly trained a

30、s Kingdon-Ward has been involved, in such a calamity and lived to tell the tale. His writing on the effects of the earthquake, are a fine record for science.61962 Indo-China War in the Lohit ValleyThe 1962 Chinese invasion was a tragic watershed in the military history of India. It exposed an inept

31、Indian state, both militarily and politically. For most of the war, the fighting qualities of the Indianjawans and young officers remained unchanged. No story of the 1962 war is complete without a mention of the heroic resistance offered at Walong.At midnight on 22 October 1962, the Himalayan calm w

32、as shattered as the Chinese attacked Indian posts. Till 13 November, fierce battles raged in many places including Dong Hill, east of the Loliit; the Ladders area; and the Lachhman Ridge. After paying a heavy price in terms of men lost on the Namti plains, the Chinese made a diversionary move to reach the western side of tri- junction, above Walong. Indian troops were ill- equipped and ill-prepared for such battles and finally had to withdraw, having paid a heavy price.Parshuram Kund (near small rock), as the Lohit river emerges in the plains of Assam. (Harish Kapadia)Crossing a single l