Officials ‘told’ to avoid Tibetan exile events
new delhi — India has told top officials to avoid events held by Tibet’s exile government to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s life in India, fearful of hurting relations with China, a newspaper reported on Friday.
Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha, India’s top government bureaucrat, sent a directive to high-level officials saying it is “not desirable” for them to participate in upcoming exile events, noting “the sensitive nature of the subject,” The Indian Express newspaper reported.
Beijing detests the Dalai Lama, saying the Tibetan spiritual leader is trying to break Tibet away from Chinese control. The Dalai Lama, who insists he only wants more autonomy for Tibet, has lived in India since 1959, when he fled a crushed Tibetan uprising.
India has long had a wary relationship with China, seeing it as a strategic rival and a major trading partner. While the Dalai Lama found shelter in India, New Delhi has often been careful to avoid showing him official support.
The Indian government did not react directly to the media report, though the foreign ministry on Friday called the Dalai Lama “deeply respected by the people of India.”
“There is no change in that position. His holiness is accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India,” foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said in a statement.
However, the foreign ministry steered clear of commenting on the directive sent out by the Cabinet Secretary Sinha on February 26 at the behest of Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, as reported in the The Indian Express. Gokhale was until
there is no change in that position. his (dalai Lama) holiness is accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India.”
Raveesh Kumar, foreign ministry spokesman
recently India’s ambassador in Beijing, who dealt with China’s hardening position on the Indo-Chinese border and other issues.
The move is being seen as India’s attempt to mend ties with Beijing which sharply deteriorated after the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh in April (from April 4-12) last year.
The Tibetan “government-in-exile” has planned a series of events in March-end and early April to commemorate 60 years of the Dalai Lama’s arrival in India in 1959 to escape the Chinese persecution.
The government-in-exile is based in the north Indian town of Dharmsala, which is also home to the Dalai Lama.
Last year, Indian troops stopped China from building a road in a disputed Himalayan plateau where the borders of China, India and Bhutan meet. In August, Beijing and New Delhi both agreed to pull back their troops from the area.—