Dalai Lama and Tibet: India’s leverage against China

 

NEW DELHI: Though India-China relations remain uneasy, Beijing’s fulminations over Tibetan leader Dalai Lama’s upcoming visit to Arunachal Pradesh could indicate that the Buddhist icon and the Tibet issue might provide some leverage to India in its relations with its giant neighbour. 

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. 

 

Indian official and political sources feel there is room to create some counter pressure on China that has been unyielding on border negotiations despite the absence of gun fire along disputed borders. Tibet and the Dalai Lama can help India counter in some measure the vice like veto China exercises on India’s entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and its move to bring Pakistan-based terrorist mastermind Masood Azhar under UN sanctions. 

To this end, the Dalai Lama has been invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan, met the visiting Australian cricket team and was feted by chief ministers of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. His visit to northeast has seen minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju in attendance.