China has warned India of adverse diplomatic consequences for allowing Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh including the monastery of Tawang.
China’s reaction this time looked belligerent and betrayed its own nervousness ahead of President Xi Jinping’s meeting with the hardliner US President Donald Trump, who has incidentally not invited his Chinese counterpart over dinner.
China might be overly conscious about its strong international posturing which it has avoided since the victory of Donald Trump in the US and his subsequent statements hinting to align with India to keep China in check.
The ongoing visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh is his sixth such visit to the state, which China claims as its own calling it South Tibet.
THE DALAI LAMA’S ASYLUM IN INDIA
Following Chinese military aggression in Tibet, the Dalai Lama escaped to India and sought political asylum in 1959.
The then Nehru government at the Centre agreed to give him asylum.
The Dalai Lama set up the Tibetan government in-exile at Dharamshala.
As a matter of policy, India has allowed the Dalai Lama to visit anywhere in the country including Arunachal Pradesh but resisted from making a political statement over his visits.
THE DALAI LAMA’S SIX VISITS TO ARUNACHAL PRADESH
The Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh for the first time in 1983 – 24 hours after he set up his government in-exile. During his first visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the Dalai Lama travelled to Tawang among other places – Miao, Tenzingang, Bomdila, Tawang, Dirang and Itanagar.
His website – http://dalailama.com – gives the details of his visits. The Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh for the second time in 1996. This time he did not visit Tawang but travelled to Miao, Tezu and Mirig.
The Dalai Lama next visited Tawang in 1997 when he toured Arunachal Pradesh for the third time. He also travelled to Tenzin Gang, Bomdila and Dirang. 2003 was the only year, when the Dalai Lama toured Arunachal Pradesh twice. First time in April-May and followed it up with another visit in December. In the first trip of the year, the Dalai Lama visited Bomdila and Tawang.
In December, he stayed at Itanagar. The Dalai Lama’s sixth trip to Arunachal Pradesh came in 2009, when he stayed at Tawang for four days.
This visit came exactly 50 years after his exile from Tibet.
WHY TAWANG MATTERS
China has always customarily objected to the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh especially Tawang.
On the other hand, the Dalai Lama has visited Tawang four times in the past. On Saturday, the Dalai Lama will be visiting Tawang for the fifth time during his seventh tour of Arunachal Pradesh after he took asylum in India.
Tawang is one of the prominent religious centres for Tibetans. It was founded in the 17th century as per the wishes of the fifth Dalai Lama.
Tawan serves as the headquarters of the Karma-Kargyu sect of Tibetan Buddhists.
The Karma-Kargyu sect is headed by Karmapa Lama. A close association of the Dalai Lama with Tawang does not fit into Chinese scheme of things.
China aggressively promotes One-China policy and in Beijing’s view a relevant Tawang outside Chinese control will continue to question Chinese acquisition of Tibet.
