The View at Natu Pass

Shortly after last week's cease-fire went into effect, Communist China accused India of still another act of "aggression" at Natu Pass, high in the Himalayas above Sikkim. The Chinese charged that a group of Indian soldiers had occupied "three aggressive military works" on the boundary and confronted Chinese frontier guards for 2 1/2 hours. Actually, the soldiers were merely escorting four visiting journalists, among them TIME Correspondent Jerrold Schecter. His report:

At 14,500 ft., the mountain flowers are purple underfoot. Yellow lichens and red moss brighten in the morning sun, and the heavy granite block retaining wall of the caravan road to Natu Pass curves in gentle arcs up to the ridge line that forms a natural border between Sikkim and Tibet. Just over the top of this ridge wait some 3,000 Red Chinese troops, part of the 17,000-man Chinese 2nd Division headquartered at Yatung. Other Chinese battalions guard Jelep Pass and the smaller passes into Sikkim. The tough Chinese troops at Natu, whom we had come up to see, have 82-mm. mortars and at least six 76-mm. howitzers mounted on the northern and southern shoulders of Natu, and a permanent observation post on the looming black slate ridge just ahead of us.

Spikes on Slate. As the dawn fog blew off the crest, Indian jawans (infantrymen) in parkas fanned out along both sides of the pass, their American-supplied automatic weapons at the ready. "There, there on the right the Chinkos have come over the top," said the Indian officer, pointing to the ridge line.

From 300 yds., only the black snout of a machine gun could be seen, poking between green spikes of wild rhubarb on the black slate ridge. Smoke from Chinese cooking fires rose in the clear air. "Let's get a closer look," said the Indian officer, clambering down to the road. "If the Chinkos open fire, get down and we'll take care of the rest." Our group of four moved forward, flanked by three jawans with automatic rifles and covered by others in the granite-block fortifications behind us. Around a curve we came on a group of Red Chinese standing in front of a tablet commemorating Nehru's visit here in 1958. As anyone could see, the marker is clearly on the Indian side of the border.

From 100 yds., we could see the Chinese clearly. They wore long yellow overcoats with red stars on the collars and the peaked caps of enlisted men. Beyond them another group of Chinese marched up and down, and looking up the ridge, we saw a soldier pop up from concealment and then down again. "The Chinkos have two poles--a red one and a white one--to signal each other," said the junior Indian officer. But we didn't get to see them: as we approached, all the Chinese had fallen into prone positions behind the rocks, disappearing against the green grass and mottled moss. "You never can tell what the Chinkos will do," said the senior Indian officer with a smile. "But our boys come up to have a good look at them now and then just to show there's no ill feeling."

The Tougher Troops. There had been earlier in the week: on the 19th, 20th and 21st of September, Chinese patrols moved across the border against Indian positions, firing white parachute flares from their mortars and covering their approach with bursts of small-arms fire. Before dawn on the 21st, a brief fire fight took place, and about 1,000 rounds were exchanged. The Indians suffered no casualties, but the Chinese were seen dragging at least two of their men from the foggy no-man's-land below the ridge. The results reflected the change that has come over Indian morale and training since the grim days of 1962, when the Chinese walked all over them. These troops are tough and determined, well supplied with U.S. weapons and winter clothing. All have been acclimatized at 9,000 ft. and can jog up and down slopes like mountain goats.

"I'm glad the fighting has stopped," said one Indian officer. "But professionally, I only wish we could have a go at the Chinkos. We're ready for them."

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