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In the autumn of 1958, as cracks began to emerge in the Sino-Indian diplomatic relationship, Jawaharlal Nehru was forced to cancel a planned visit to Lhasa amid escalating political unrest in Tibet. Even so, India’s first prime minister was determined to undertake a Himalayan diplomatic mission. His destination shifted to the isolated kingdom of Bhutan, although the geography of the era dictated a circuitous route: Nehru would have to cross Sikkim’s Nathu La Pass into Tibet, travel through Yatung in the Chumbi Valley, and then proceed south into Bhutan.

To make this journey, Nehru needed the permission of China, a country that, despite growing tensions, was still publicly regarded as a friend. Writing in the Brooklyn Daily in October 1958, journalist Bert Clemens noted that the “Chinese Reds” found themselves in an awkward position: “They had indicated that Nehru was more than welcome – for were not the Chinese people and those of India by history and tradition, the ‘staunchest of friends and allies?’ – in Tibet, but circumstances made it ‘dangerous’ for him to visit at this time for any period of time.”

Ultimately, Beijing permitted Nehru to transit Tibetan territory en route to and from Bhutan, though the gesture lacked true warmth. “The Chinese...

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