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‘How long India could Appease China’

External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee’s message to Dalai Lama betrays the aspirations of Six million Tibetans and Tibet supporters around the world

By: Tharchin Y Gonpo
Date: 4th April 2008

My day begins with a swift reading of newspaper, but today I was appalled and saddened by the External Affairs minister of Indian government, Pranab Mukherjee’s statement being splashed in the front page.

In his statement to media, he urged the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama not to indulge in anything that could “hurt” India ’s ties with China while staying here as country’s “guest”. Mukherejee said, “He is a respected guest and the Dalai Lama can stay here as India ’s guest, but he should not do anything that harms India ’s diplomatic ties with China ”.

Tibetans being a follower of Buddha Dharma, believe and practice love and compassion in every day life. Tibetan people’s struggle for the freedom has been peaceful and non-violent during the five decades of struggle in exile. In fact, there is hardly an incident where Tibetans resorted to violence for their freedom struggle in India . Tibetans have largely been peaceful and non-violent in their struggle. Thus, in a democratic nation like India where Mahatma Gandhi had once championed non-violence and satyagraha for Indian independence, it is ridiculous and morally unjustified on the Indian leaders to put pressure on Dalai Lama and Tibetans from having peaceful and non-violent processions on Indian soil. Such restriction is neither up to the democratic norms nor upholds the Gandhi’s principle of non-violence.

Being a Tibetan youth, born and brought up in democratic India and having had done my schooling, college and university studies in Indian institutes in India, I always feel India as my home and I never had an incident which alienated myself from the rest of my classmates who were all Indians. In fact, all my classmates were very supportive and sympathetic towards Tibetan people’s struggle.

I remember the moment when I had to speak about Tibet and her current situation to the whole college during my master’s studies in Bangalore . When I started explaining about Tibet , the reason why I was here in India and how crucial the Indian government could play its role to resolve Tibetan issue, the silence filled the air and their transfixed eyes gazed at me. I spoke for nearly half an hour, yet every one was so engrossed and involved. Many even asked me for more information about Tibet and Tibetans in exile; I remember I had given them some addresses of web sites on Tibet .

On the whole, my experience at college with Indian friends gave me a sense of hope that Tibetans could expect a favourable change in the Indian government’s stand over Tibet issue in the coming decades.

Tibetans, Indian sympathisers and Tibet supporters around the world are disappointed and saddened by the External Affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee’s inopportune statement at such time of grief when most of the independent and democratic nations lament and denounce the recent brutal crack down of peaceful Tibetan protesters and the ongoing repression and perpetual vigilance and harassment by heavily armoured Chinese armies in Tibet.

In addition, Pranab Mukherjee emphasized that there has been no change in the policy formulated by Jawaharlal Nehru during an inauguration of a college in West Bengal and reiterated India ’s position which accepts the Tibetan Autonomous Region was part of China .

However, the fact is that the “Panch Shila” or the five principles of peaceful co-existence which was signed in April 1954 had already lost its essence while the Nehru’s dream of peaceful co-existence with People’s Republic of China as new neighbour at the northern front was also shattered when the people’s liberation armies attacked India ’s northern frontiers in 1962. “ Tibet was murdered”, wrote late Prof. Dawa Norbu, “and upon its grave the Panch Shila were engraved”.

As a keen observer, I feel it is the right time for the Indian government to support Dalai Lama’s sincere and persistent avocation of genuine autonomy comprising all three traditional provinces of Tibet rather than consistently repeating the Indian government’s unchanged stand on Tibet issue and thereby sidelining it as the internal issue of China . In fact, the issue of Tibet is not at all an internal issue. What has been happening in Tibet is the systematic destruction and plundering of Tibetan civilization which is over 2000 years old. Thus, whatever has been happening in Tibet is neither in the interest of India being a traditional neighbour of Tibet nor in the interest of Tibetans who has the right to preserve and protect their own culture and civilization.

The recent demonstrations and uprisings are a manifestation of deep-rooted resentment not only among Tibetans in the Chinese outlined Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), yet also among Tibetans who have been residing in traditionally Tibetan areas which are now incorporated in Chinese provinces like Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan. Thus, the Tibetan People’s Uprising in Tibet sends a clear message to the international community and international organisations that the Tibetan people aspire for an independent Tibet . Besides, the message should have been clear and loud to the ears of Chinese leaders that the issue of Tibet matters only to six million Tibetans around the world and it is a wrong assumption and bad propaganda on their part to consistently call the issue of Tibet matters only to Dalai Lama and some section of Tibetans. Jayaprakash Narayan had rightly said, “Is Tibet lost for ever? No. Thousand times no. Tibet will not die because there is no death for the human spirit.”

“….In the background of this, we have to consider what new situation now faces us as a result of the disappearance of Tibet , as we knew it and the expansion of China almost up to our gates. Throughout history we have seldom been worried about our north east frontier. The Himalayas have been regarded as impenetrable barriers against any threat from the north. We had a friendly Tibet which gave us no trouble,” said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in his letter to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 7 November 1950 .

Although Mukherejee’s words are being seen as an India’s effort to show solidarity and commitment for the safe journey of the upcoming Olympic torch through the capital but the External Affairs Minister’s statement has shattered and bruised the conscience and sentiments of millions of Tibetans, Indian sympathisers and Tibet supporters beyond repair.