Text: Elephant Microvision
Edited by Elephant Microvision
Yumai Township, Longzi County, Shannan City, Tibet, is on the Sino-Indian border, and nearly one-half of the land area here has been invaded by India.
But an old Tibetan man named Sanjay Chopa has guarded here for 34 years with his perseverance and faith.
Sanjay Chopa is not a prominent figure, he is an ordinary Tibetan herdsman, but his sense of national honor and deep love for his homeland make him protect this land without hesitation.
It is because of his efforts that China has advanced the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in southern Tibet by 5 kilometers towards India.
Sanjay Qupa also once said: "Home is Yumai, and the country is China." ”
01
Distant Yumai
Yumai is located deep in Tibet, and it is surrounded by mountains.
To reach Yumai, you must first start from Lhasa in Tibet, which can be said to be a magnificent and arduous journey.
The journey will be a challenge of climbing two snow-capped mountains up to a height of 5,000 meters, overcoming altitude sickness and low oxygen levels, requiring physical strength and perseverance, and then crossing swampy primeval forests.
Eventually, you will be able to see this small village at an altitude of 3,600 meters in the distance.
The climate in Yumai is extremely harsh, with rain and rain all year round, and sunshine is almost a luxury.
Whenever winter comes, heavy snow frequently falls, and the mountain roads are covered with snow, and the mountains are closed for half a year, completely cutting off contact with the outside world.
The amount of precipitation is even more staggering, up to 9,000 mm, which is many times more than in the average mountainous area.
This abundant rain nourishes the land, and although the Yumai area is covered with dense forests, it also forms a large amount of marshland.
These swamps and primeval jungles cover nearly half of the country, making transportation in the Yumai area extremely difficult, and the road ahead is full of mud and traps.
Due to the cold climate, severe hypoxia, coupled with the poor land, long crop growth cycle and low yield, the agricultural production in the Yumai area is extremely difficult, coupled with the cold and anoxic climate of the Yumai area, even the most tenacious plateau crop, barley, is difficult to grow here, let alone other crops.
As a result, the inhabitants of Yumai live almost entirely on the supplies brought in from the outside world, and they buy food, clothing, and other necessities from other places to support their basic livelihood.
Yumai is isolated from the outside world, forming a quiet life without fighting with the world.
Before the advent of the information age, there were no telephones or the Internet, and people relied entirely on human power to maintain contact with the outside world.
In this way, for hundreds of years, Yumai had very little contact with the outside world, but it was this isolation that allowed Yumai to maintain its original innocence and tranquility.
However, at that time, Yumai suffered a heavy blow - the invasion of foreign enemies, nearly half of Yumai's land was occupied by India, and this sudden invasion plunged Yumai Township into a crisis.
02
Nearly 1/2 was occupied by India
Yumai Township is located in the northeast of Longzi County in the Shannan region of Tibet, although it is a small town with a difficult terrain, it has an extremely important strategic location due to its close proximity to the McMahon Line on the Sino-Indian border.
This land has been an important barrier in the southwestern border of China since ancient times, carrying the hopes and dreams of countless Chinese sons and daughters.
In 1914, Britain led the Simla Conference to map out the Sino-Indian border.
The conference drew the "McMahon Line," which transferred 90,000 square kilometers of territory originally belonging to China to British India without China's consent.
The demarcation of the McMahon Line has divided some important areas that originally belonged to China into India's territory, causing serious damage to China's territorial integrity and national dignity.
In 1947, with the end of British colonial rule and India's independence, India did not accept China's original territorial division, but continued to adhere to the illegal McMahon Line and used military means to try to expand its control in the region.
In the 50s of the last century, the Indian army repeatedly crossed the Sino-Indian border line without permission.
In March 1959, the Indian government even publicly stated that it would "recover" China's Tibetan region, a statement that shocked the Chinese government and people and sparked widespread anger.
Finally, in 1962, in the face of India's constant provocations, China had to respond and launched a self-defense counterattack against India.
This war was waged under extremely harsh plateau conditions, testing the will and courage of the Chinese and people's soldiers.
In the war, the Chinese army showed superb combat skills and tenacious will to fight, and they faced India's ace troops, fearless of hardships and dangers, and fought bravely.
In fierce battles, the Chinese army achieved a series of important results, defeated the Indian army, and recovered the Chinese territory occupied by the Indian army.
The victory of this war is an important historical event for China, not only to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also to defend the security and stability of important frontier areas like Yumai.
The Chinese won the war by buying this land with their blood and lives.
But it did not expect that after the withdrawal of troops from the mainland after the war, India took the opportunity to advance northward again and occupied a large area of Chinese territory, including Yumai.
The illegal occupation of this land by India has become an unresolved issue of history.
Yumai Township, originally part of China, has been mired in long-term controversy for various reasons.
The residents of Yumai Township have become innocent victims of this dispute, and their lives and fates have been seriously affected.
03
34 years of perseverance
Sanjay Quba, his whole life, has been composing deep friendship for the motherland.
Yumai Township is located on the frontier, and has become the focus of controversy on the Sino-Indian border due to historical issues, but there is an extraordinary family in this place, that is, the Sanjay Quba family.
In the eyes of the outside world, Yumai is a barren and desolate place, but in Sanjay Qupa's heart, it is a part of the motherland, worthy of his life's protection.
Faced with frequent border conflicts and harsh natural conditions, other villagers chose to leave, leaving only him and his two daughters to stay on the land without hesitation.
At that time, someone came to persuade Sanjay Quba to move away from Yumai, away from the frequent border conflicts and difficult living conditions, Sanjay Quba also heeded the advice and left Yumai with his two daughters to live a short life in the city.
But after living for a winter, he still can't forget the land that belongs to him in Yumai, and when he thinks of that beautiful but desolate land, he feels as if he has lost his roots.
So, driven by his deep attachment to Yumai and his reassuring emotions, he resolutely decided to return to Yumai with his daughters.
After returning, Sanjay Quba built a humble hut in Yumai and quietly pushed his residence five kilometers in the direction of the Line of Actual Control, closer to the so-called McMahon Line.
During this time, Sanjay Tripa and his two daughters have experienced many difficulties and challenges, but they have not flinched and they are convinced that they have made the right choice.
In this way, Sanjay Quba became the first head of Yumai Township.
He also sewed the first five-star red flag in Yumai Township with his own hands, planted it on the land in front of his home, and flew high towards the Indian outpost, telling the Indian army that this was Chinese territory.
Every morning, when the first rays of sunlight shine through the mountains and sprinkle on the land, Sanjay Qupa would take a look at the five-star red flag.
Sanjay Trupa's two daughters have long been accustomed to accompanying their father every time, and Sanjay Tripa will always tell them: "China's national flag is more precious than life, and we must always cherish and defend it." These simple words are deeply imprinted in the hearts of the daughters.
In his view, this is not only a piece of land, but also a place where they have lived for generations, the land of the motherland, and every grass and tree must be guarded.
Every day on this land, Sanjay Chopa vigilantly maintains the safety of the place, and when grazing, he deliberately drives his yaks to the river valley to the south to demonstrate the sovereignty of the place.
When night falls, Yumai Township is immersed in silence, with sporadic lights flickering in the darkness, but for Sanjay Quba, night does not mean rest and relaxation, but more need for vigilance and vigilance.
In many border conflicts with India, Sanjay Chopa has shown tenacity.
On a cold, silent morning, as the morning sun shines through the clouds on the summit of Yumai, an Indian helicopter suddenly appears in the sky, cutting through the quiet of the morning.
The helicopter slowly landed on a hill and a group of Indian soldiers quickly jumped out of the helicopter, holding Indian flags, apparently to plant them here as a demonstration of so-called "sovereignty".
Sanjay Quba quickly rushed there when he heard the sound of the helicopter.
When he saw that the Indian soldiers were preparing to plant the flag, he did not hesitate to step forward and stand in front of the Indian soldiers.
Although Sanjay Quba's stature is not tall, his body exudes a sense of fearlessness and firmness, which makes people feel admirable.
"This is China's territory, and you have no right to plant a flag here!" Sanjay Qupa's voice was not high-pitched, but it was full of firmness and determination.
Indian soldiers tried to push him and even pulled out their pistols and threatened to shoot.
But Sanjay Qupa was undaunted, he stood there steadily, his eyes revealing unshakable determination.
Eventually, in the face of Sanjay Quba's steadfastness and tenacity, the Indian soldiers reluctantly put away their pistols, took back their flags, and left.
In 1988, after Sanjay Qupa retired, the villagers unanimously elected his eldest daughter Zhuo Ga to take over as the township head, while Sanjay Qupa's sister Yang Zong became the deputy head of the township and the women's director.
Their family, passed down from generation to generation, guards Yumai Township, the land of the guardian country.
04
Now
For a long time, only Sanjay Quba's family of three guarded the land, but as the country's attention to the border areas increased, Yumai began to undergo earth-shaking changes.
In 2001, the road to the outside world was finally built in that isolated town, which is undoubtedly a great news.
But joy was mixed with sadness, and in this year, Sanjay Quba, who had spent 34 years guarding China's nearly 2,000 square kilometers of land, passed away.
With the strong support of the government, Yumai's infrastructure has been developed, and public services such as electricity and communications have been gradually improved, bringing earth-shaking changes to the lives of the villagers.
Today, Yumai has taken on a new look, and the once rugged mountain road is now smooth and smooth, with lush trees on both sides of the road, presenting a vibrant scene.
Sanjay Qupa's grandchildren have also returned to their hometowns, some of them have chosen to continue to protect the land, inherit the family traditions, and defend the territory of the motherland, while others devote themselves to the construction of their hometown and strive to make Yumai a better place.
Solang Dunzhu, the son of Yang Zong, the first college student in the history of Yumai, chose to return here after studying abroad and devoted himself to the construction of his hometown, and he was committed to promoting the development of Yumai and giving the town a new vitality.
Today, Yumai has become a desirable tourist destination, and every June, when the snow and ice melt, tourists from all walks of life flock to it.
After a few bends, visitors can see that the whole town is surrounded by mountains and houses are scattered.
And the most striking thing is the five-star red flag fluttering high, whenever there is a breeze, the five-star red flag will flutter in the air.