Guwahati: Exclaiming that many Indians prefer to use the term Indo-China border, Tibetan exile government head Lobsang Sangay defines that is why the Chinese troops are on the Indo-Tibetan border. A man of humour with excellent oratory skill added, if most Indians believe that Tibet is a part of China, then there would be nothing wrong for the Chinese to be in their country’s northern border.
Commenting on a section of India based media personalities, intellectuals, social activists, politicians, etc who maintain soft corners to the Beijing administration, the young Tibetan politician warned that his country had also witnessed similar developments in the 1950s. It finally resulted in capturing Tibet by the Chinese forces, lamented Sangay.
“When Tibet was an independent country, only 75 Indian soldiers guarded the entire border as more troops were not necessary,” said the Sikyong (President) of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), based in Dharamshala of northern India, adding, “Now the same border needs over a hundred thousand guards as it has turned into Indo-China border to
increase the country’s defence budget,” Addressing a press conference in the city on 1 March, the Harvard educated politician, asserted that if at all India wants to understand Communist China, it must understand Tibet first. Various initiatives like Tibetan study centres in local universities should be materialised. Then only the misnomer Indo-China border will be replaced by the term Indo-Tibet border, he added.
Sangay said continuous environmental degradation of Tibet by China had led to the fast melting of glaciers which would create a shortage of fresh water. According to him, the diversion of water from rivers in Tibet by China is a reality since a significant part of the Chinese population is facing a shortage of water. Sangay said the preservation of Tibetan ecology is vital for the livelihood and ecology of the neighbouring countries mentioning the Tibetan glaciers as the sources of ten major rivers in Asia, Sangay cautioned that continued environmental interventions in Tibet would impact various regions including northeast India adversely. He pointed out that relentless disturbances in the upstream of mighty river Brahmaputra would only affect its flow and the quality of water in the region’s lifeline.
Sangay had otherwise full praises for to the people and government of India saying thar no other country could have done as much as the glorious nation had offered. Thousands of Tibetan families are still taking shelters here and they have successfully rebuilt many Buddhist monasteries and cultural institutions in India, which were already destroyed by the Chinese forces inside Tibet.
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