India gives Tibet to China, next Arunachal?
So the Olympic flame ran through Delhi albeit a much shorter route. And how many police were deployed to guard it? Delhi was famously called a Fortress for the day, a shameful title.
Tibetans and their supporters protested successfully in Paris, London and San Francisco but were not given space to protest along the route of the Olympic torch-run in Delhi? And India is frequently described as the heartland of Tibetans in exile and home to the Tibetan Government in exile. Lest we all forget, India also prides itself to be the largest democracy - a democracy that restrains freedom to protest?
When China invaded Tibet soon after India’s Independence, our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was naïve enough to assuage fears of Indian security. China grabbed the opportunity of a lax Indian security to encroach into Indian territory and annex parts of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. Since then, we have had a Line of Actual Control whereby China still possesses very large tracts of both states. Even Sikkim was disputed until only recently when China accepted it as an integral part of India.
The Vajpayee government followed in Nehru’s footsteps by conceding Tibet to be an integral part of China. Of course it is the fastest emerging economy, nuclear-armed, and a neighbour. But did the BJP expect China to cede Arunachal Pradesh to India in return? On the contrary, the Chinese ambassador had the audacity to declare the state as a part of China last year.
Fortunately, India is host to the largest population of Tibetan exiles and also hosts the Dalai Lama much to China’s annoyance. The least it could have done is to allow the Tibetans to express themselves and protest the recent massacre of their brethren by the Chinese government.
I would also hope that no Indian official will grace the Opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing. But that I know is too much to hope for.
Do you think what India did was right? What’s your position on the Tibetan issue and the upcoming Olympics? Write below.
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