The Bum La Pass is a border pass between China's Tsona County in Tibet and India's Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh. The pass currently serves as a trading point between Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet. It is also an agreed Border Personnel Meeting point for the security forces of China and India.
An old traders’ road went from Tawang via Milakatong La Pass ("La" in the Tibetan Language means "pass") to Bum La Pass and finally to Tsona Dzong in Tibet.
Note: Note: Since Bum La is situated at an altitude ranging from 15000-16000 feet above sea level, tourists are advised to follow the acclimatization process. Please refer to the PDF attached in the important links section.
The Battle of Bum La Pass was fought on 23 October 1962 between Indian forces led by
Subedar Joginder Singh and the Chinese. A Platoon of Sikhs under Sub Joginder Singh
held off multiple attacks from a Regiment of Chinese troops and delayed their advance to
Tawang. As the third wave of Chinese troops advanced, Singh manned a machine gun
and ordered his remaining soldiers to fix bayonets catching the Chinese by surprise. It is
believed that Joginder Singh single-handedly killed 56 soldiers. He was taken into
Chinese captivity where he would later die. He was posthumously awarded the nation’s
highest honour, the Param Vir Chakra - the only such award in the Eastern Sector.
CITATION
Subedar Joginder Singh
The Sikh Regiment (2JC-4547)
Subedar Joginder Singh was the commander of a platoon of the Sikh Regiment holding a defensive position at a ridge near Tongpen La in N.E.F.A. At 5.30 a.m. on October 23, the Chinese opened a very heavy attack on the Bum La axis with the intention of breaking through to Towang. The leading battalion of the enemy attacked the ridge in three waves, each about 200 strong. Subedar Joginder Singh and his men mowed down the first wave, and the enemy was temporarily halted by the heavy losses it suffered. Within a few minutes, a second wave came over and was dealt with similarly. But the platoon had by then lost half its men.
Subedar Joginder Singh was wounded in the thigh but refused to be evacuated. Under his inspiring leadership, the platoon stubbornly held its ground and would not withdraw. In the meantime, the position was attacked for the third time. Subedar Joginder Singh himself manned a light machine-gun and shot down a number of the enemy. The Chinese however continued to advance despite heavy losses, When the situation became untenable Subedar Joginder Singh and the few men left in the position, fixed bayonets and charged the advancing Chinese bayonetting a number of them before he and his comrades, were overpowered.
Throughout this action, Subedar Jogider Singh displaced devotion to duty, inspiring leadership and bravery of the highest order.
