Ex Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal urges PM to open Demchok for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra & Dumchele for India–Tibet border trade
Leh, Ladakh | 3 August 2026; Former Member of Parliament from Ladakh and Member of the BJP National Council, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, has submitted a detailed memorandum to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi Ji, urging the Government of India to declare Demchok in Eastern Ladakh as an official route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and to notify Dumchele as an authorised India–Tibet (China) Border Trade Centre.
In his memorandum, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal first congratulated the Prime Minister for his visionary leadership in restoring India’s historic Himalayan connectivity through the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh Pass, the reopening of the Nathu La route for pilgrims, and the recent decision to revive border trade through Lipulekh, Shipki La and Nathu La. He described these initiatives as historic milestones that have strengthened India’s civilizational ties with the Himalayas while promoting border development, frontier prosperity and the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Drawing attention to another long-pending aspiration of the people of Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal appealed for the reopening of the historic Demchok–Dumchele corridor, which for centuries served as an important trans-Himalayan route connecting Ladakh with Western Tibet. The memorandum notes that this corridor was historically used by pilgrims, traders and scholars and facilitated the exchange of pashmina wool, salt, tea, borax, livestock, textiles and other traditional commodities, making Dumchele a thriving centre of commerce and cultural interaction.
The memorandum emphasizes that reopening Demchok as a pilgrimage route would restore one of India’s oldest civilizational and spiritual corridors to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. It states that Demchok has historically been regarded as one of the shortest and most traditional routes for the sacred pilgrimage and that reopening it, whenever bilateral arrangements permit, would fulfil the long-cherished aspirations of devotees while preserving India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal further argued that reopening Dumchele as a regulated border trade point would significantly transform the economy of Eastern Ladakh. According to the memorandum, it would revive traditional commerce, create employment opportunities for local youth, encourage entrepreneurship, strengthen transport and logistics infrastructure, promote tourism and allied services, and provide sustainable livelihoods for border communities, thereby making one of India’s remotest frontier regions economically self-reliant.
The memorandum also states that the proposal is fully aligned with the Government of India’s Vibrant Villages Programme, which envisions border villages as the nation’s “first villages” rather than its “last villages.” Shri Namgyal observed that reopening these historic routes would accelerate infrastructure development, reduce migration from border areas, improve connectivity and create new economic opportunities, enabling border residents to become active partners in national development.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the proposal, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal noted that thriving civilian settlements, improved infrastructure and regulated economic activity along India’s frontier would further strengthen national security. Prosperous and well-connected border communities, he stated, serve as one of the strongest pillars of India’s strategic presence in sensitive frontier regions.
The memorandum further points out that the successful reopening of Lipulekh, Shipki La and Nathu La demonstrates that carefully regulated border connectivity can simultaneously advance diplomacy, economic growth, cultural exchange and national interests. Extending this vision to Eastern Ladakh through Demchok and Dumchele, Shri Namgyal stated, would complete another important chapter in India’s historic Himalayan outreach.
Expressing gratitude for the unprecedented development initiatives undertaken by the Government in Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal acknowledged the Prime Minister’s commitment towards infrastructure, defence preparedness, tourism, renewable energy and border area development across the Union Territory.
In his representation, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal specifically requested the Prime Minister to initiate the necessary diplomatic consultations and administrative processes for:
- Declaring Demchok as an official route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, whenever bilateral arrangements permit; and
- Notifying Dumchele as an authorised India–China Border Trade Point under the existing or future bilateral framework governing border trade.
The memorandum concludes that these initiatives would strengthen India’s civilizational diplomacy, generate employment, promote sustainable economic growth, reinforce the objectives of the Vibrant Villages Programme and further consolidate India’s strategic presence in Eastern Ladakh. It also states that the proposals would fulfil a decades-old aspiration of the people of Ladakh while becoming another enduring legacy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of reconnecting India with its ancient Himalayan heritage.
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal expressed confidence that the Government of India would give due consideration to this long-standing national and regional aspiration in the larger interests of cultural heritage, border development, national security and the socio-economic progress of Ladakh.