The recent visit of a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers to New Delhi and Dharamshala marks a significant moment in U.S. diplomacy in the region.
by Ashok K Mehta
A Tibet festival began on 3 September at the India International Centre, New Delhi, to celebrate its rich Buddhist heritage, culture, and identity. The Sikyong (head) of the Central Tibetan Administration, Penpa Tshering, will preside over various activities to highlight Tibet’s geo-strategic, spiritual, and cultural importance for India.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, at 89, is receiving medical treatment in a New York hospital but is reported to be in good health. U.S. Special Coordinator on Tibet, Uzra Jeya, met him, which elicited an “immediate (solemn) protest from China.” Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning stated, “We don’t allow the Dalai Lama to engage in political activities in the U.S.” Backchannel talks between the Dalai Lama’s envoy and China have been ongoing for an undisclosed period, though Beijing does not confirm them. These talks are driven by the U.S. House Resolution Resolve Tibet Act of July 2024, which calls for the restoration of Tibet’s full autonomy. India needs to add its voice for Tibet’s autonomy, both internally and externally, as part of a broader coalition. India’s recognition of full Chinese sovereignty over Tibet was based on Beijing granting and implementing Tibet’s autonomy. Instead, China has quashed Tibet’s autonomy and trade treaties, opening the door for India to adopt a more nuanced position.
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| Dalai Lama, wearing a traditional hat from Himachal Pradesh, watching the Indian Republic Day Celebrations on TV at his residence in Dharamasala, HP, India on January 26, 2023. [Photo: Tenzin Jamphel] |
Two issues require the Government of India’s prompt attention: the Dalai Lama’s succession and the border issue, including the restoration of peace and tranquillity and full disengagement in East Ladakh. The visit of a bipartisan U.S. delegation of lawmakers to Dharamsala and Delhi, received by both the Dalai Lama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was significant. China critic Nancy Pelosi made comments about President Xi Jinping that drew Chinese ire. On the ground, the sinicization process of Xijang (Tibet) began in the mid-1960s. The method of injecting 7.5 million Han Chinese into Tibet, along with neutralizing Tibetan Buddhism by deploying Chinese monks in Tibetan monasteries, was designed to change the heart and soul of Tibet. Militarization and infrastructure construction soon followed, adversely impacting the environment. USD 5.8 billion was spent on the Sichuan-Tibet railway system, which is being extended to borders with India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
A new border law has led to the construction of 628 well-off border villages close to or encroaching into neighboring countries. In 1965, convenience police stations were established as a key security measure: Big Brother is Watching. By 2011, Tibet Autonomous Region advertised for 2,500 police stations, with 458 designated for Lhasa alone. By 2016, this grid-style social management of Tibet had recruited thousands of Han Chinese and some Tibetan policemen.
A Chinese Communist Party (CCP) political secretary has always maintained close surveillance over Tibet, which is governed by the CCP from Beijing. Internal policing has fostered a sense of ‘otherness’ through the surveillance drive. Reports indicate attempts to recruit Tibetans into the PLA, including some forcible intake.
The day may come when some Nepalese might choose to join the PLA outside of the South West Theatre Command in Tibet. This could result from the ill-conceived Agniveer policy. The Chinese Renaming Campaign has led to what the Forum for Non-Violent Alternatives (FNVA) calls ‘Thread of Beads: an analysis of renaming 62 locations in India’s Arunachal Pradesh since 2017.’ China claims that 90 percent of Zangnan (Arunachal Pradesh) is illegally occupied by India. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has suggested renaming 62 locations in Tibet. This is unlikely to provoke a strong reaction from the Chinese. The Chinese renaming drive occurred in four phases: 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
This campaign has been supplemented by encroachments into Nepal and Bhutan, with the construction of Xiakong villages (well-off) in contested areas to bolster their claims. While Nepal and Bhutan are pretending this is not happening, India is building approximately 600 vibrant villages, with funds already released. Numerous encroachments have also occurred in India. The strategic importance of Tibet for India cannot be overstated.
The root of the border problem and the Tibet issue lies in India’s failure to understand its significance in time and act. In the Eastern Command, Lt Gen Sir Francis Tucker foresaw in 1946 that India must prevent China from occupying Tibet and be prepared to occupy it. This did not happen, for which we are now paying the price. The priority now is to coordinate with the Dalai Lama to address his succession. The Dalai Lama has been silent on this issue recently but has spoken and written about it in the past.
The Chinese are likely to appoint their own Dalai Lama, as they did with the Panchen Lama (second to Dalai Lama), Gyaltsen Norbu. This must be preempted. The CTA is preparing a new map of Tibet with the help of cartographic experts from Princeton University in the U.S.
The issue of the map and India announcing the contours of its Tibet policy, including the border and full disengagement of the PLA from its intrusions in East Ladakh, must be coordinated with the CTA. A succession policy should also be outlined. With Tibetans migrating to the U.S. and soon becoming the majority of Tibetans residing there, the Tibet issue may diminish, leaving Delhi with reduced leverage against Beijing.
Ashok K. Mehta is a radio and television commentator, and a columnist on defence and security issues. He is a former Major General of Indian Army. After joining the Indian Army in 1957, he was commissioned in the 5th Gorkha Rifles infantry regiment in the same year. He had fought in all major wars India went into, except the Sino-Indian War of 1962. And he was also on a peacekeeping mission in Zaire in the year 1962 and in the Indian Peace Keeping Force, Sri Lanka (1988-90) and it was his last assignment in the Indian Army. He is also a writer of several books and a founder-member of the Defense Planning Staff in the Ministry of Defence, India.
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