The Dalai Lama has expectedly steered clear of political positions, saying there is nothing new in China’s objections to his visit. Yet, the sharp language with China warning of ” serious damage” to bilateral ties should be read with its increasing testiness over the prominence being given to the Dalai Lama.
Indian officials argue that the Dalai Lama is not doing anything that is a departure from his usual activities and his proposed visit to Arunachal Pradesh and the famous Tawang monastery is a result of the long-standing demand of his followers. But they point out that if this really agitates China, then it also reveals a pressure point that can come handy in interactions at the political and diplomatic level.
China remains fully in control of the Tibet plateau with a strong military and administrative presence but the region, along with Xinjiang, remains a worry for the authorities as recent restrictions on religious displays in the latter area indicate.
Tibet, along with Taiwan, remains absolutely non-negotiable for China and this makes the task for Indian diplomacy more challenging.
There is a risk of escalating tensions in an already fraught relationship and commentators have pointed out that the jab, counter-jab which has marked ties needs to be moderated or at least prevented from painting both sides into positions which are politically difficult to reverse.
