Indians express the truth about the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans

Cartoon depicting India’s waning support for the Tibetans, in favor of a positive relationship with China (original artist unknown). Indians from all sectors of society are starting to realize that no good comes of supporting the Tibetans, whereas a relationship with China will benefit 1.2 billion of their citizens.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to [email protected].

 


 

By: Ringzin Tsomo

NEW DELHI – The first quarter of 2018 has not been a pleasant one for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; Tibetan leadership based in Dharamsala). Not only have they been repeatedly confronted with the truth that they are nothing more than pawns in other people’s political games, but the world is starting to realize who the CTA really are – a self-serving administration who have manipulated everyone into thinking they are long-suffering refugees to gain free financial aid which has only gone to line the pockets of those at the very top.

And so when it comes to the CTA, theirs has been a two-fold decline in recent times. Internally, they have been beset by scandal after self-made scandal; externally, the world continues to refuse tangible support for the so-called Tibetan cause, preferring instead to strike up a relationship with China.

Most worryingly for them however, is that the Tibetans are starting to lose Indian support. For 60 years, India has been the exiled Tibetan community’s biggest supporter. Their generosity began on the very first day of the Tibetans’ lives in exile, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama set foot in India and gained the promise of then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for Tibetans to occupy 27 tracts of land throughout India. Not only did they receive this land rent-free, but the Tibetans are not required to pay taxes for any of the donations they receive, amounting into the hundreds of millions. And while other countries have remained silent, India has often chosen to forego a better relationship with China in order to uphold the supposed moral imperative of supporting the Dalai Lama and his administration.

To the dismay of the Tibetan leadership, this is no longer the case and in the last few months, India has shown greater interest in fostering a more positive Sino-Indian relationship. It began with the appointment of Mr Vijay Gokhale to the position of Indian Foreign Secretary. A former Indian ambassador to China, Mr Gokhale is an advocate of a more conciliatory approach with China, himself having played a vital role in the resolution of the 2017 Doklam crisis.

The current Foreign Secretary of India, Mr Vijay Keshav Gokhale

His appointment forms just one of many incidents in recent times signaling a decline in Indian support for the Tibetans. It is with this knowledge that the CTA planned their “Thank You India 2018” campaign, a badly-organized initiative launched to try and win back some local support for the Tibetan cause. At the commencement of this campaign however, it became painfully obvious that the CTA no longer enjoy unwavering, unquestioning support from Delhi. News of this campaign led Mr Gokhale to trigger a series of events, resulting in a memo issued to all Indian officials discouraging them from attending any Tibetan-hosted occasions. This memo has been the talk of the Internet, having seemingly emboldened more and more Indians to voice their discontent in relations to the Tibetans.

As a result, Indian leaders declined to join this event and also ordered Tibetan leaders not to have this event in Delhi, leading the Tibetans to cancel it. It has been a huge wakeup call to the Tibetans in India that their ‘poor me refugee’ charade will no longer be tolerated after a free ride in India for 60 years. Easy days for the Tibetans leeching off India, but not assimilating nor contributing to their generous host country, are ending. The cancelled “Thank You India 2018″ celebrations was nothing more than a cheap marketing effort by the childish Tibetan leaders to once again lavish empty lip service to Indians, but not doing anything tangible for India’s pressing needs as usual. The Indians saw through this and decided to decline their support for this event which the Dalai Lama was supposed to attend, showing even the Dalai Lama is losing his drawing power among the Indian government and elite.

Thus, from a grassroots level all the way up to the highest echelons of government in Delhi, it now seems that the Indians are no longer willing to be the CTA’s pseudo-landlords. Unhappy Indians have taken to the Internet to voice their dissatisfaction, pointing out that:

  1. Tibetans should stop relying on the USA for funds, and on India for rental-free land. Financially, the Tibetans have not contributed anything to the Indian economy by way of taxes, and all donations that the monasteries receive stay within the Tibetan communities. They do not filter out to the poor local Indian communities surrounding them.
  2. The Tibetan leadership should stop acting as a provocateur in Sino-Indian relations, and let India dictate their own foreign policy without Tibetan interference. India already has many foreign policy issues to contend with, without the CTA creating any more. When the Doklam standoff in Northern India was happening, the CTA remained silent much to the consternation of Indian observers. Meanwhile, Mr Gokhale worked to resolve the situation which the Dalai Lama had previously exacerbated by visiting Arunachal Pradesh just before the standoff took place. The ownership of Arunachal Pradesh is disputed by the Indians and Chinese and the Dalai Lama’s visit was perceived by the Chinese leadership as intending to provoke them. During the Doklam standoff itself, the Dalai Lama further exacerbated the situation by visiting Ladakh, again in Northern India.
  3. The CTA and the Tibetans should show some interest in Indian domestic issues. For example, when Gorkhaland was an issue, the CTA remained silent although many Tibetan refugees live in the Darjeeling area where the unrest was taking place. Similarly, when there were anti-Tibetan protests in Arunachal Pradesh, the CTA cowardly remained quiet while Indian politicians dealt with the unrest.
  4. Related to Points #2 and #3, the CTA uses India to play politics, without any regard for Indian welfare. The Tibetans lack any sensitivity and interest for domestic issues faced by India, choosing always to act in a manner that benefits only themselves.
  5. The Dalai Lama himself has said he wants to go back to China, so why are the CTA constantly antagonizing China and making this wish less and less attainable? Even the Indians are realizing this and are saying that the CTA should do more to help the Dalai Lama go back! In fact, one commentator even notes that the Tibetans HAVE a home and it is called Tibet, and they should go back. Even the Dalai Lama has stopped calling for independence so the Indians are now asking, why are the Tibetans still in exile?
  6. When the Tibetan leadership issues statements that contradict India’s, Indian citizens begin to question how the CTA can logically expect India’s support on anything. For example, one commentator takes issue with the critical remarks the Dalai Lama made on intolerance in India. The Tibetan leadership has also previously dismissed India’s foreign relations issues like Doklam as being “not very serious”, although there were casualties and injuries as a result of the conflict.
  7. So not only do the Tibetan leadership stay silent when they should talk, but when they do talk, they create problems. The Dalai Lama, for example, triggered many Nepalis to be upset when he commented that “Buddha was born in India”. The resulting uproar damaged already-fraught relations between India and Nepal.
  8. The main focus now is economic prosperity and regional stability for both India and China. This is nothing personal against the Tibetans, but is based on facts and figures which show that economically, the Indian leadership has nothing to gain by aligning with Tibetans. Politically, the Tibetans are unpopular with all of India’s neighbors like Nepal and Bhutan. So on paper, it does not make sense to sacrifice the welfare of 1.2 billion people for the sake of 150,000 exiled Tibetans.
  9. Indians are recognizing that Tibetans lead a very good, very comfortable life compared to most Indians. While large swathes of the Indian population languish in poverty, the Tibetans have their big monasteries with golden altars, sponsored school buildings and such. The Indians now recognize that the Tibetans are not behaving like real refugees, and enjoy an unusual level of autonomy and self-governance thanks to the Indian leadership’s magnanimity.
  10. The Dalai Lama has expressed that if it came down to it, he would side with China over India. No doubt this statement would upset many Indians who see they have sided with the Tibetans for no benefit whatsoever; that is, when push comes to shove, the CTA are nothing but a bunch of turncoats who will run in the direction that serves them best.
  11. The Tibetan leadership’s treatment of India as a third-class option has filtered down to their Tibetan people, who rush to take up Western citizenship without any complaints, but are reluctant to become Indian citizens and will demand concession after concession from the Delhi government. To the Tibetans, there is nothing wrong with holding a Western passport but there is something wrong with becoming Indian; it is an option they will take up only when they have no other choice, even though for 60 years the Tibetans and their leadership have gotten fat off the kindness of the Indian government. How can any refugee stay in a country for 60 years and not become a citizen of that country? That is why after 60 years, Tibetans have failed to assimilate into Indian society purposely, preferring to stick to their own Tibetan schools, their own Tibetan hospitals, their own Tibetan shops and restaurants under the guise of cultural preservation. But they do not do the same ‘cultural preservation’ in Western countries they eagerly migrate to. What is worse is that the CTA aids and abets in this ungrateful attitude, even going so far as to sabotage the efforts of any Tibetan who wishes to take up Indian citizenship. At the end of the day, it is clear that to the Tibetans, India is nothing more than a stepping stone at best, and a halfway house at worst for exiled Tibetans hoping to go back to Tibet or travel onwards to the West. Tibetans show a subtle form of racism that India is not good enough for them to take up citizenship. India does not demand this of Tibetans unlike other countries Tibetans migrate to where they have to immediately assimilate and take up citizenship and pay taxes. Tibetans are not required to do this in India, again showing India’s incredible lenient generosity. It is only recently that the younger Tibetans wish to take up citizenship in India where their leadership discourages this.

These are just some of the many points of contention raised by Indians, who are becoming more vocal about their increasingly unwelcome guests. After six decades of unchecked abuse of their people, and unaccounted exploitation of the Indian government’s kindness, is this the long-awaited comeuppance for the Tibetan leadership? Not only have they taken the Indian government for granted, but on more than one occasion they have outright flouted and disregarded Indian law. Indian law for example, guarantees religious freedom for ALL residents of India. Yet, the CTA have somehow exempted themselves from this to launch a tirade of discrimination, violence and segregation against Dorje Shugden practitioners. Similarly, Indian law guarantees freedom of speech; yet the CTA continues to shut down and direct violence against publications who dare voice out any criticism about them. The fact Tibetans like Dhamchoe Nyima or Tenpa Yarphel are lauded and celebrated for their bravery in speaking out against the CTA, tells you a lot about the state of affairs for freedom of speech in the Tibetan community.

So it is clear that not only do they fail to show gratitude, but the Tibetan leadership are downright rude and disrespectful towards their host country’s initiatives to keep the peace for the safety and security of all citizens and residents. From the side of the Tibetan leadership, it has been misstep after political misstep, which has only served to reinforce the world’s increasing rejection of their cause.

An Indian MP and senior BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader, Mr. Shanta Kumar said “China should pave way for his return,” referring to the Dalai Lama during recent “Thank You India” events held by the Tibetan leadership. This is a clear sign of changing political attitudes regarding the Tibetans. India’s friendship with China is growing and the Indians want the Dalai Lama out of their country. Economic and regional security is more important for India. Click on the link to read the full article: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dalai-lama-tibet-thank-you-india-event-live-updates-cta-china-bjp-5118008/

Tibetans on Twitter ask India to thank them and even label Prime Minister Nehru a traitor to his own country. This is how ungrateful Tibetan are. But they suddenly change their tune and pretend to like India when they are caught and exposed. But no one is fooled. Their gratitude is not real and everyone knows it. Click to enlarge.

Do revisit this article again as we will be updating it from time to time with more opinions from the growing voices of dissent, who are willing to speak the truth about everything that is wrong with the Tibetan leadership’s abuse of the Indian leadership’s kindness and generosity.

 

Indians tweeting about Tibetans

Below are some comments from Indians who are extremely unhappy with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans in exile. Many Indians are increasingly fed up with the Tibetan refugees who do nothing to repay the kindness of the country that has given them so much.

<

 

Indians expressing their feelings about Tibetans

Students United Movement of All Arunachal (SUMAA) have been protesting against the state government of Arunachal Pradesh’s adoption of the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy (TRP). They say Tibetans are infringing on the rights of the indigenous population. This is now an increasingly common complaint about the Tibetans – wherever they go in India, they receive preferential treatment from the Indian government, who should actually be exercising a greater duty of care towards their own citizens. Below are some screenshots of comments left by SUMAA protestors and their supporters.

 

Indians and Tibetans write about
the state of their relationship

Below are some articles that refer to Indians speaking up against the Tibetans and even the Dalai Lama himself. The situation in India is not getting any better for the Tibetans.

Related links:

  • https://www.tibetsun.com/elsewhere/2017/07/25/why-is-the-dalai-lama-silent
  • http://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/why-is-the-dalai-lama-silent-1500930385.html
  • http://arunachalobserver.org/2017/10/11/sumaa-holds-protest-march-demands-trp-2014-rollback/
  • http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39650
  • https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/10/05/tibetans-in-arunachal-pradesh-face-wrath-of-locals
  • https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/dalai-lama-in-india-china-sikkim-stand-off
  • http://tibetexpress.net/indian-parliamentarian-questions-dalai-lama-and-tibetans-silence-over-india-china-border-dispute/

 

[TIBET SUN] Why is the Dalai Lama silent?

Click to enlarge. (Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/elsewhere/2017/07/25/why-is-the-dalai-lama-silent)

 

[THE STATESMAN] The original article
from The Statesman

Click to enlarge. (Source: http://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/why-is-the-dalai-lama-silent-1500930385.html)

 

[ARUNACHAL OBSERVER] SUMAA holds
protest march, demands TRP- 2014 rollback

Click to enlarge. (Source: http://arunachalobserver.org/2017/10/11/sumaa-holds-protest-march-demands-trp-2014-rollback/)

 

[PHAYUL] Withdraw Tibetan rehabilitation policy or face dire consequence: war cry of self styled outfit in Arunachal Pradesh

Click to enlarge. (Source: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39650)

 

[TIBET SUN] Tibetans in Arunachal Pradesh
face wrath of locals

Click to enlarge. (Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/10/05/tibetans-in-arunachal-pradesh-face-wrath-of-locals)

 

Indian parliamentarian questions Dalai Lama and Tibetans’ silence over India-China border dispute

Click to enlarge. (Source: http://tibetexpress.net/indian-parliamentarian-questions-dalai-lama-and-tibetans-silence-over-india-china-border-dispute/)

Please support this website by making a donation.
Your contribution goes towards supporting
our work to spread Dorje Shugden across the world.

Related Topics: , , , ,

Share this article
116 total comments on this postSubmit yours
  1. It is high time India became friends with China. The benefits are tremendous for both nations. We should already stop assisting the parasite like Tibetans living in India that create nothing but trouble and extremely demanding of all our resources. Tibetans want everything for free and contribute back nothing to India. Indians are waking up to this cold hard truth. The Dalai Lama maybe a spiritual holy man but it translates into nothing for us Indians. We have our own holy men.

    Tibetans are racist. They look down on Indians and call us dark skinned. If one of their women marry an Indian, they will criticize her. It happened in Delhi-Majunakatilla. Tibetans never apply for Indian citizenship in 60 years because India is not good enough for them. They should all go to another country or back to China.

    I am happy to see our government finally waking up and mobilizing to be friends with China.

    India's PM Modi presents a bouquet to China's President Xi before their meeting in Ahmedabad

  2. Apart from two big Tibetan events planned in Delhi being scrapped, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) can add another disgrace to the list, this time thanks to its own people, the Tibetans.

    On Saturday 17th March, a large number of international protestors gathered near the Tibetan parliament, seeking the impeachment of Tibetan President Sangay, saying his actions are akin to those of a dictator. The protestors are from India, Nepal, Europe, and the US and the protest will go on until the session ends on March 24. Lobsang Sangay definitely made a mark in Tibetan history as he is the first President that Tibetans protested to impeach.
    Tibetan govt faces protest from Tibetans amid strained relations with India
    S Gopal Puri| TNN | Mar 17, 2018, 11:04 IST
    DHARAMSHALA: Amid worsening relations of Tibetan government in exile and India government, the former was facing protest from Tibetans itself.
    Indian government’s recent move of asking its senior leaders and dignitaries had already scrapped various Tibetan events planned in Delhi.
    On Saturday, number of protestors gathered near the Tibetan parliament protesting against Lobsang Sangay, the president of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
    These were the members of the group Truth-Seeking Volunteers holding protest against Lobsang Sangay, leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile- Sikyong, following a rift between him and former speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile Penpa Tsering.
    The protesters seek the impeachment of Tibetan President Sangay for actions which, they say, are akin to those of a dictator.
    They are also seeking a reply from Sangay and his cabinet for terminating the services of Penpa Tsering, former representative of the office of Tibet in Washington from the office.
    Tsering was sacked from the office on November 7, 2017, 15 months after his appointment. It is believed that the cause of Tsering’s ouster was that he raised the issue of a $ 1.5-million loan taken from the Tibet Fund in New York to purchase a new office in Washington.
    Sangay had clarified in the parliament that $ 1.5 million was not a loan but a grant.
    Thinley Kelsang, a protester, called for Sangay’s impeachment and said he had taken many decisions without the approval of the Tibetan parliament. There were enough reasons for his impeachment, he said.
    A petition for his impeachment was submitted to members of parliament, which is holding its 10-day budget session.
    The protesters from India, Nepal, Europe, and the US gathered at the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) premises. The protest will go on until the session ends on March 24.
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tibetan-govt-faces-protest-from-tibetans-amid-strained-relations-with-india/articleshow/63341379.cms

    Tibetan govt faces protest from Tibetans03

  3. Tibetan govt in exile was stupid to push Dorje Shugden people down and discriminate against them since 1996. Dorje Shugden people for the last 400 hundred years practiced their protector peacefully and for spiritual purposes. Tibetan govt in exiled FAILED in securing Tibet back from China for the last 60 years and they needed a scapegoat to distract their failures away and blamed it on Dorje Shugden instead of admitting to their mistake. Most dictator regimes like Tibetan govt fail and distract their public from failure so they are not protested against. Now the tables have turned. The world is abandoning the Tibetan govt and cause. Tibetans themselves are protesting against Tibetan govt. Dalai Lama is old and slowed down. Even Himachel Pradesh state govt and Indian national govt is abandoning Tibetan govt and making friends with China. Everyone is abandoning the Tibetan govt in exile and all the hundreds of thousands of Dorje Shugden people could have been your friend but you alienated and segregated them. Too bad. You are left alone. You should have been nice to the peaceful Dorje Shugden people in and out of Tibet and NOW YOUR KARMA IS COMING BACK. TOO BAD!!! Down with Tibetan govt!!! 👍

    2017-12-14_7-18-20

  4. Sharling Dhardon and her favorite partner Lobsang Sangye failed miserably. They should take their money and leave and let the Tibetans recover. Get out of Dharamsala and go away. You are failures and money loving corrupt couple😖

    IMG_0501

  5. We Indians must social media more about the ungrateful Tibetians. We want them to go back to Tibet after 60 years. They are useless and don’t pay taxes and live off our land of mother India and do nothing for our country. They never help the poor of India and make so much trouble and sectarian issues in our country.

    27f3b64b-cf82-4671-834f-d254ec71773d

  6. It is understandable that national ministers refrained from attending events organised by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) following the leaked classified directive from the Indian Cabinet Secretary. But to have a State Minister of Himachal Pradesh (that Dharamsala falls under) skipping such an important event for the Tibetans in-exile is a clear message – India is now making ties with China, and the ‘Tibetan cause’ (Tibetan independence) is no longer useful to India. 

    Over the past few months, the Dalai Lama has made numerous statements that Tibet should remain part of China. He has been reaffirming his stance that he is not seeking independence for Tibet. Meanwhile, India is exercising a whole new approach – to make friends with China. After all, India’s national interest comes first.
    Himachal minister skips Dharamsala Tibetan function
    Shri Puri| TNN | Mar 10, 2018, 21:57 IST
    DHARAMSALA: In a major shock to the Tibetan administration in Dharamsala, state minister Kishan Kapoor, who was invited as the chief guest at the official function to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day, skipped the event.
    The minister and Tibetan minister evaded the queries in this regard.
    The event was organized at Tsuglagkhang (the main temple of the Dalai Lama at Mcleodganj) on Saturday.
    It remained a low-key affair owning to the controversy due to which the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) had to cancel its ‘Thank You India’ event scheduled at Delhi on March 31 and April 1.
    The event was cancelled after the an advisory was issued from the ministry of foreign affairs asking the dignitaries to stay away from the programme
    Following the advisory, the CTA was forced to shift the event from Delhi to Dharamsala.
    It was presumed that the had its bearing on the Tibetan National Uprising day function.
    CTA had announced that the Kapoor, minister for food and civil supplies and an MLA from Dharamsala seat, would be the chief guest at the function. However, Kishan Kapoor failed to turn up. Only BJP MP George Baker was present at the event.
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shimla/Himachal-minister-skips-Dharamsala-Tibetan-function/articleshow/63249334.cms

    Himachal minister skips Dharamsala Tibetan function

  7. Since Dalai Lama does not want independence there is nothing more to talk about. He should just go back to China instead of hiding in India.

    data-mistakes

  8. In response to the cancellation of the recent ‘Thank You India’ event in Delhi, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) released a video message by His Holiness the Dalai Lama saying that the Tibetans have not been seeking independence for Tibet from China since 1974. In addition, His Holiness further reiterate the mutual benefits of reconciliation between Tibetans in exile and China.

    This statement was very offensive to Indians who were very kind enough to host the Tibetan refugees for the last 60 years. Not only did the Tibetan community contribute nothing to India, they have also been using India in order to further their own cause. Now that India is changing their stance towards China, Tibetans are quick to turn around in favor of China and India is quickly abandoned. What is apparent in this speech is that India remains an undesired place to be called home.
    We’ve not sought independence for Tibet from China since 1974: Dalai Lama
    TNN | Updated: Mar 17, 2018, 11:03 IST
    DHARAMSHALA: Days after a Tibetan event in Delhi was cancelled and shifted to Dharamshala following the Union government note to its senior leaders and government functionaries to stay away from them, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on Friday came out with a video message of the Dalai Lama, saying they have not been seeking independence for Tibet from China since 1974.
    In his video message to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), based in Washington DC, the Dalai Lama has pointed out that China and Tibet can have mutual benefits if reconciled. He’s heard saying: “Living within the People’s Republic of China, we can serve, we can help them and we can share our (ancient) knowledge. They, in turn, provide us means of dollars.”
    The occasion for the Tibetan leader’s message is the organization’s 30th founding day anniversary. The department of international relation and information, CTA, released an eight-minute clip of this video message here, wherein the Dalai Lama has spoken briefly on Tibetan’s middle-way approach and the support it has garnered. “Since 1974, we decided not to seek independence. So, now the middle-way approach…. Common interest is more important than one’s own national interest. With that kind of concept, I am very much willing to remain within the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese word ‘gongheguo’ (Republic), shows some kind of union is there,” the Dalai Lama is heard saying in the message.
    Seeking ICT’s help, the Tibetan spiritual leader goes on to say, “Your organization has been, for 30 years, showing genuine support for the Tibetan cause. I always claim that the supporter of Tibetan cause is not pro-Tibetan, but rather pro-justice.”
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shimla/weve-not-sought-independence-for-tibet-from-china-since-1974-dalai-lama/articleshow/63338370.cms

    We’ve not sought independence for Tibet 01

  9. His Eminence Kundeling Rinpoche was asked to shed some light on the Tibetans’ reactions towards the “Thank You India” campaign being moved to Dharamsala. Below is Kundeling Rinpoche’s response:

    *****************

    The Tibetan leadership as such, has been tight lipped and unresponsive to questions put forth to it, on the affair of the change of venue, to its grand celebrations for, ‘thank you India.’
    The ATPD or Tibetan Parliament on the other hand has had one of its deputies expressing regret on the floor. But there has not been any forceful argument as to bringing the venue back to Delhi. As for the common masses, there will be mixed responses, but to no avail. As, there has never been a history of any public opinion, in exile, ever having been taken into consideration, with exception to certain referendums held—that too, to merely impress its western donors !

    It is probably known to the leadership, if not the largesse of the exiled community, that the GOI is currently bent on normalisation of its relationship with the Chinese and any camaraderie with exiled Tibetans—at least for now—may send the wrong signals across. Some Tibetans, view the shifting trends of Sino-Indian bonhomie, as a pendulum. There are those, who will also predict, that it is only a matter of time, before GOI reverts back to status quo.

    A wave of discussions had erupted recently, amongst Tibetans worldwide, arising from President Trump’s decision, to cut down on Tibetan funds, that has been part of the on going American proxy, to tame the Chinese ! It did not however, go unnoticed, that while Penpa Tshering’s presence in New York, could not evoke any special attention to the Tibet lobby, the Taiwanese lobby on the other hand had gained some considerable boost.

    Amongst a host of incompetency charges on Penpa, this has been one amongst his Tibetan detractors, in other words, they have accused him for not having lobbied enough. Lobsang Sangye’s supporters, have voiced this insinuation. These detractors claimed amongst a host of others complaints directed at, that he Penpa did not have the sophistication as required of a Tibetan head posted at a strategic place like New York City, to cater to the international community, for the Tibet lobby. Even so, Penpa Tshering, as is now widely known, was booted out from his post on flimsy charges. And, that is attributed to the fact, that he had fallen out of favour with his boss the Tibetan Supremo and Samdong.

    Yet, the Tibetan gossip column is rife with, many a Tibetan from within the diaspora, who are more than confident, that Trump cannot wish away or undo the work of all of his illustrious predecessors, for whom the Tibet lobby had served as an important tool in neutralising the Chinese. Some have even gone far as saying, that the Tibetan lobby is like an addiction, that many an American congressmen or woman cannot overcome !

    In summary, the Tibetan commentary to the aftermath of American or Indian overtures to the Chinese is this. It is like in the springtime when romance is in the air. With time the love affair will go awry, when realpolitik and proxies prove diehard. So these Tibetans say, the Tibet card is too precious to discard for either. Some have even gone further to speculate that, the Indians will therefore never allow the Dalai Lama to go back into the Chinese embrace, without its border imbroglio settled once and for all. And, no one knows, if that takes decades, so say these Tibetans !

  10. Modi’s government’s direction is clear regarding the Tibetans – India wants the Tibetan government in exile to avoid indulging in any political activity against Beijing, and on the Indian side, it is stepping up its engagements with China to deepen economic and political cooperation before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in June, of which Prime Minister Modi is attending the multilateral event.

    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval are scheduled to meet their Chinese counterparts before the SCO summit and ministerial engagements with China is expected to translate into a bilateral informal summit between Modi and Xi.

    Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha’s recent note asking all politicians and bureaucrats to refrain from participating in events organised by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is a huge contrast to when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in May 2014, this was when the then Prime Minister (now President) of the Tibetan government in exile Lobsang Sangay was invited for his swearing-in. As India denounce their strong support towards the Tibetans in exile, we know that the CTA’s power is dwindling down, especially when the Dalai Lama said that he wants to “voluntarily” put an end to the process of Dalai Lama succession.

    SCO ministerial summit: Swaraj, Sitharaman to meet their Chinese counterparts in Beijing
    The SCO summit will be in June in Qingdao with Prime Minister Modi attending the multilateral event.
    Updated: Mar 21, 2018 09:07 IST
    Shishir Gupta Hindustan Times, New Delhi
    The government’s engagement with the newly appointed Cabinet of Chinese President Xi Jinping will begin later this month with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman expected to meet their counterparts, state councillor Wang Yi and defence minister General Wei Fenghe, on the sidelines of SCO ministerial summit in Beijing from April 24-26.
    The meeting between Swaraj and Wang has been scheduled while the ministry of defence is expected to seek time from General Wei in a bid to build bilateral trust and cooperation. The SCO summit will be in June in Qingdao with Prime Minister Modi attending the multilateral event.
    South Block officials indicated that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is also expected to fly to Beijing after returning from Washington this weekend to meet his counterpart Wang, who is also the special representative for the India-China boundary dialogue. Wang was appointed state councillor by President Xi on Monday after his predecessor Yang Jiechi was elevated to the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.
    Top diplomats and China experts told HT that the ongoing engagement with Beijing is designed to deepen economic and political cooperation as Delhi has neither the intention of provoking its neighbour nor the desire to embark on a full-fledged confrontation. This was made clear when cabinet secretary PK Sinha wrote a letter on February 26, asking all politicians and bureaucrats to refrain from participating in events organised by the Tibetan government in exile to celebrate the 60th year of exile of His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
    While the Modi government wants the Tibetan government in exile to avoid indulging in any political activity perceived to be against Beijing, it is clear that it wants its core interests from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to the Indian Ocean to be fully protected. Just as Chinese core interests of Tibet and Taiwan are non-negotiable for Beijing, Delhi is opposed to any unilateral changing of the LAC or Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean. Indian opposition to China Pakistan Economic Corridor, passing through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, is now a matter of record. As reported earlier in HT, the ministerial engagement with China this month is expected to translate into a bilateral informal summit between Modi and Xi.
    https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sco-ministerial-summit-swaraj-sitharaman-to-meet-their-chinese-counterparts-in-beijing/story-be6FgUHbIXJo0KuQbBEHoJ.html

    Swaraj-Sitharaman-to-meet-their-Chinese-counterparts01

  11. This article highlights very good points. The Tibetans in India has not given back to their very generous host country at all, after being graciously welcomed by all Indians more than 60 years ago. The kindness and generosity only can go so far, when there is no arm extended back to the sponsors, so this seems like the case for Tibetans in India.

    The Tibetan Leadership has been using India as its base, while siphoning money around the world. If they had gotten millions in donations, they should have at least somehow paid back and contributed to India in some way or another. The fact that they have never done it, shows that they never thought about it, and therefore only using India. Now Indians are speaking up, and rightfully so! They are the ones that are being compromised for the welfare of Tibetans and can no longer remain silent.

    There’s just a little worry! All the good kind Dorje Shugden lamas and monks in India will suffer too, if Tibetans are sacrificed in this political chess. After having fled Tibet into exile, and rebuilding their homes, monasteries, and lives there, if the tides turn, they will be affected too.

    But I know Dorje Shugden will help them. The Tibetan Leadership are getting their karma back for al that they have done to separating its own people, now they are being sidelined by the world! About time their fraudulent activities are getting much more traction throughout the world. Lobsang Sangay – what happened to all the funds that were received? 😠😠

  12. I see many Indians expressing their displeasure with Tibetans on Twitter daily. Look at what they are saying now.

    IndianTweets

    IndianTweets02

    IndianTweets03

  13. The Tibetan leadership may appear to be the pawn in the political game of others, but if we examine the situation closely, they haven’t been exactly quiet and submissive in this regard either. The Tibetan Leadership have done their fair share to upset relations of their host country with big powers like China, leaving India to resolve the ensuing problems by itself .

    It is clear that in their national interest, India is now moving towards a closer relationship with China and looks set to discard its ‘Tibetan card’. The Tibetan Leadership received a real jolt when the Indian authorities recently issued a directive to all its officials not to attend Tibetan events like the “Thank You India” event planned by the Tibetan Leadership to pay lip service to India(not a true show of gratitude and appreciation for India’s 60 years of hospitality).

    Indeed, the Indians are justifiably angry with the Tibetans for their ingratitude and for their not even giving a real helping hand to India and Indians in need. All donations from sponsors and big sponsor countries , in the past, have merely gone to line the pockets of those in the upper echelons of the Tibetan community in exile. No thought had ever been given to offer financial help and relief to the poor Indians who are economically more disadvantaged then the Tibetan refugees themselves. Furthermore, in a distasteful show of looking down on their host country, the Tibetan Leadership has taken a negative stance towards efforts by their fellow Tibetans to apply for Indian Citizenship!

    It is to be hoped that , out of the chaos and schism and disunity created by the Tibetan Leadership within the Tibetan-in-exile community, the monastic community as well as the Dorje Shugden practitioners , will ultimately be allowed an opportunity to live in peace side by side with the rest of the Tibetans in India.May unity and peace be restored.

  14. 对对, 是应该的。 流亡在印度的藏人行政中央一点也不懂得感恩。 只是在印度的寄生虫。

    60 年来印度提供 流亡藏人一个地方生活、赚钱、等等。 不过他们却完全没有回馈印度任何东西。 有的只是不断为印度添麻烦。

    我希望流亡藏人会得到应有的惩罚, 他们多年来干的坏事总需要有得到报应的一天。

  15. There were some speculations that India’s objectives in slighting the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) could be because of a prior agreement with China.

    Coincidentally, Foreign Secretary Gokhale’s note leaked a day before the foreign secretary visited Beijing, and now we hear news that Indian ministers have scheduled to meet their Chinese counterparts to prepare for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in June.

    We may never know the real reason is for India’s sudden turn around to appease China. But one thing’s for sure, India will not allow the Tibetans to engage in anti-China activities from now onwards. Like what the article said, “…for India, the Tibetan story was over.”

    Letting Go Of The Dalai Lama And Tibet
    BloombergQuintOpinion
    by Bharat Bhushan
     @Bharatitis
    Updated on 21 March 2018, 6:57 PM
    Published on 21 March 2018, 6:57 PM
    The Tibetans in exile must be dismayed after India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale wrote to Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha on Feb. 22 that Indian government officials be advised to skip events organised by the Tibetan Administration in exile. It is not at all certain that the payback from China for alienating the Dalai Lama is going to be commensurate with India’s act.
    India’s objectives in slighting the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), as the Tibetan government in exile is known, and indirectly the Dalai Lama, remain unclear. No one knows what understanding, if any, has been reached with China prompting such action. However, its negative consequences are already at play.
    The Dalai Lama effectively un-invited himself from the plenary session of the Indian Science Congress in Manipur. Reluctant to embarrass the Indian government, the Tibetan leader turned down the invitation to be present at the plenary session with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To allow a face-saver, his office claimed that the invitation, which the organisers said had been extended two months ago, was never received by him.
    The Dalai Lama is also bound to have been deeply embarrassed, as Gokhale’s directive was leaked in the midst of his thirty-third ‘Mind & Life’ dialogue – an annual debate between science and religion. At that time, he was hosting 200 eminent scientists from all over the world at Dharamshala.
    The charitable interpretation of what Gokhale, an experienced China hand, did would be that his advisory related to only one particular event. The Central Tibetan Administration had planned a massive ‘Thank You India’ event in Delhi to mark 60 years of the Dalai Lama’s exile from Tibet and to acknowledge Indian support for the exiled Tibetan community in the country. The mega-event would have seen an inter-faith meeting at Rajghat and a gathering of nearly 7,000 people at Thyagaraja Stadium in the Capital in the presence of several Indian political leaders. There were plans to invite former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, LK Advani, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijuju, the Vice President of India and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
    Such a high profile Tibetan event would have irritated China to no end.
    It was cancelled hastily after the foreign secretary’s note, shifted to Dharamshala, and downscaled.
    If Foreign Secretary Gokhale was sending a message only to the CTA then the entire episode could have been handled differently. Gokhale has been Indian Ambassador to China as well Joint Secretary (East), the point person in the Ministry of External Affairs for dealing not only with China but also with the Dalai Lama and the CTA. He could have advised the current Joint Secretary (East) to have a quiet word with the ‘Prime Minister’ of the CTA, Lobsang Sangay, who would have complied with the Indian request, and that would have settled the matter.
    That the letter was leaked a day before the foreign secretary was visiting Beijing suggests that a message was also being sent to China – that India would not allow the Dalai Lama to agitate the Tibet issue in India publicly.
    In this scenario, putting curbs on the activities of the Dalai Lama and the CTA in effect would mean that for India, the Tibetan story was over.
    India may also have been upset with the Dalai Lama trying to negotiate with the Chinese keeping it out of the loop. It is an open secret that the Dalai Lama has been in contact with the Chinese for a settlement. Since 1974, his position has been to seek a settlement within China instead of pushing for Tibetan independence. The secretive visit of his emissary and former prime minister of the CTA, Samdong Rinpoche to China in mid-November, where he is believed to have met Chinese officials, might have upset South Block.
    If the Dalai Lama is seen playing ducks and drakes with India, then there is every reason for India to keep off and not be used by the Tibetans in exile.
    The Indian fear may be that in a deal with Beijing, the Dalai Lama concedes that Tibet was always a part of China, then that would undermine Indian position on the McMahon Line, which India considers as the legal boundary between Tibet and its north-eastern region. China rejects the McMahon Line, which is based on the Simla Accord of 1914 signed between Tibet, China, and Great Britain (as the ruler of British India). China claims that Tibet was not a sovereign state and therefore was not qualified to sign any treaties.
    As of now, there is no indication that the Dalai Lama has conceded the Chinese demand that Tibet was always a part of China.
    Nor has he accepted the ‘One China’ policy, i.e. that Taiwan and Tibet are integral parts of China.
    What might be the quid pro quo for India by curbing the activities of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan exiles? India ratcheted up tensions with China in 2017 through a series of events culminating in the Doklam stand-off on the Bhutan-China border. Its questionable resolution which was widely projected as Indian ‘victory’, it now turns out, only helped entrench the Chinese forces on the plateau. The Chinese presence there has increased manifold. And the Indian Army, in its proxy role for the Bhutanese, is no longer able to patrol the disputed area it used to earlier.
    Why would those given to rolling up their sleeves to take on China’s might, suddenly take a U-turn?
    Perhaps the new foreign secretary wants to change the atmospherics of Sino-Indian ties before the upcoming preparatory ministerial meetings for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The visits of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj can facilitate a successful visit by Prime Minister Modi to the SCO summit at Qingdao in June.
    There may also have been a more immediate reason for appeasing the Chinese — to secure Chinese support for putting Pakistan on the ‘grey list’ of countries funding terrorism in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international money laundering watch-dog. This would subject Pakistan to intense monitoring and scrutiny by the International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) on terror financing. However, the reciprocity at FATF is already in the open – India supported China’s candidature for Vice President of the FATF and in turn, China withdrew its objections to Pakistan being put on the ‘grey list’.
    Could it be that by distancing itself from the Dalai Lama, India hopes that China would become more amenable to its membership of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG)? The prospects for that are bleak as China has linked India’s candidature for the NSG with Pakistan being given entry as a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
    Perhaps India expects that China now stands with it and not Pakistan on designating Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Maulana Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the United Nations. That too does not seem reasonable and is too small a gesture. In any case, knowing Pakistan, Masood Azhar’s designation as an international terrorist is likely to be as ineffective on the ground as that of Hafiz Saeed’s.
    There may be no immediate or substantial gains from curbing the activities of the Dalai Lama and the CTA in India.
    However, what is clear is that a ‘muscular’ government which had invited Lobsang Sangay to the inauguration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2014 along with heads of states from South Asia has taken a step back. In doing so it has lost leverage in dealing with China.
    It may, therefore, no longer be possible for the South Block mandarins to parade the Dalai Lama at will in Arunachal Pradesh to rile the Chinese as they did in April 2017. Nor would it possible to fly the ‘Prime Minister’ of the CTA, Lobsang Sangay to unfurl the Tibetan flag “metres from Tibet” at Pangong Lake in Ladakh to snub Beijing; or ‘allow’ Tibetan protests outside the Chinese Embassy whenever a dignitary from that country visited India.
    There is also a possibility that some Tibetans youngsters – frustrated with the ineffectiveness of the Dalai Lama’s ‘middle path’ and the Indian government’s stance – may choose a different, less peaceful approach to struggle for Tibetan independence.
    Bharat Bhushan is a journalist based in Delhi.
    The views expressed here are those of the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of Bloomberg Quint or its editorial team.
    BloombergQuint
    https://www.bloombergquint.com/opinion/2018/03/21/letting-go-of-the-dalai-lama-and-tibet

    3Letting-go-of-the-dalai-lama

  16. India banning Tibetans from hosting a rally with the Dalai Lama this month for the 60th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule is a clear sign that India wants to improve ties with China.

    China said that it is “willing to keep up the good momentum of two-way cooperation with India,” while the Indian side mentioned that India and China agreed to consult each other on regional and international issues.

    You can’t really fault India for doing so. After all, it was His Holiness the Dalai Lama who batted for the recognition of the “Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai” (India and China are brothers) spirit to take Sino-Indian relations forward.

    India’s Modi, China’s Xi ready to improve bilateral ties
    Published: March 21, 2018 8:26 am On: World
    REUTERS
    BEIJING/ NEW DELHI: India and China agreed to consult each other on regional and international issues, the Indian side said after a phone call on Tuesday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
    Relations between the two countries have been tense since last year after their troops faced off on a disputed part of their border. On Tuesday Modi called Xi to congratulate him on his re-election.“The two leaders agreed that as two major powers growing rapidly, bilateral relations between India and China are vital for the realisation of 21st Century as ‘Asian Century’,” Modi’s office said in a statement.
    Hundreds of troops were deployed in 2017 on the Doklam plateau, near the borders of India, its ally Bhutan, and China after New Delhi objected to Chinese construction of a road through the mountainous area in their most serious standoff in years.
    China is willing to keep up the good momentum of two-way cooperation with India, Xi told Modi, China’s state news agency Xinhua said.
    China is ready to enhance communication with Modi on long-term, strategic bilateral issues to promote political mutual trust, Xi added.
    China was also angered by Modi’s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, a state in northeast India claimed by China.
    In a bid to improve ties with China, India banned Tibetans from hosting a rally with the Dalai Lama this month to mark the 60th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing regards the Tibetan spiritual leader as a splittist.
    https://thehimalayantimes.com/world/india-narendra-modi-china-xi-jinping-ready-to-improve-bilateral-ties/

    5.-Indias-Modi-Chinas-Xi-ready-to-implement-billateral-ties

  17. The Tibetan government in exile has been dumped by the Indian government for a bigger prize: China. For years, the Tibetan government in exile would accuse Dorje Shugden people of taking money from the Chinese but everyone knows that this is not true. Now even their host, India, will be friends with China. Everyone will be friends with China sooner or later, and the Tibetan leadership beg to be as well. The Tibetan leadership shouldn’t have messed with Dorje Shugden people. Too bad for you! And when the Tibetan leadership is friends with China, what will they accuse the Dorje Shugden people of then???

    Is India abruptly dumping Dalai Lama to be in China’s good books?
    By S. N. M. Abdi
    Special to Al Arabiya English
    Wednesday, 21 March 2018
    New Delhi has suddenly ditched the Dalai Lama – the Nobel Prize winning Tibetan spiritual leader who runs a government-in-exile from India – apparently to mend fences with an increasingly assertive China.
    The Dalai Lama has been a revered guest in India for 60 long years after he crossed the Himalayan border to escape the wrath of communist China.
    Since 1959, successive governments in New Delhi generously hosted him and his Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) headquartered in Dharamsala along with 95,000 Tibetan refugees, even as Beijing accused India of sheltering China’s Enemy Number 1 and threatened reprisals.
    New Delhi’s brave and principled stand was lauded globally and the Dalai Lama – one of the world’s most recognized faces and a human rights icon – emotionally described himself last year as a “son” of India. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government seems to have just dropped the Dalai Lama like a hot potato inviting charges of capitulation and kowtowing to China.
    Volte-face
    The volte-face is evident from India’s new Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale’s top secret note to Cabinet Secretary P. K. Sinha to ensure that “senior leaders” and “government functionaries” boycott CTA’s events from March 31 to mark the 60th year of the Dalai Lama’s arrival in the country.
    Gokhale’s confidential memo published verbatim by the Indian Express newspaper said: “The proposed period (March 31 onwards) will be a very sensitive time in the context of India’s relations with China. Participation by senior leaders or government functionaries, either from the central government or state governments, is not desirable, and should be discouraged.”
    Sinha, in turn, issued strict instructions to central and state governments to steer clear of CTA functions.
    Sacrificial lamb
    “It’s as clear as daylight that India wants to appease and please China”, a top diplomatic source told Al Arabiya. “And the Dalai Lama is the sacrificial lamb at the altar of Indian interests. Modi won’t have to pay a price domestically for dumping the Dalai Lama.”
    The diplomat, who declined to be named, said that “India’s climb-down is spurred by hard realities like China’s GDP which is nearly five times that of India; China’s defence spending which is three times larger than India’s, not to speak of the $52 billion trade deficit which underline China’s huge military and economic edge over India.”
The abrupt and complete reversal after the bluster and muscle-flexing in 2017, especially during the Doklam stand-off, has angered many in India.
    Sushant Singh, one of India’s top defense analysts, tweeted: “The story is not what India does to Dalai Lama. It is how India is unable to deal with China effectively. As we know, China never withdrew fully from Doklam and we have had to accept the new status quo. We have been made to believe that India is standing up to China and not going to “appease” it. This is a clear departure from what people have been told so far, especially after Doklam ‘disengagement’. This is what happens when we adopt an ostrich-like attitude towards China …then lie & obfuscate to our citizens.”
    Chickening out?
    Another observer, Anuradha Dighe, wrote: “Modiji first chickened out of Dokalam unconditionally and without a signed treaty & lost Bhutan’s trust. Now afraid of interacting with Tibetans in his own country India. Next Modi will give Arunachal Pradesh to China in fear.”
    Sources told Al Arabiya that New Delhi – which has traditionally used the Dalai Lama as a bargaining chip with China – decided to pacify Beijing by dumping the Tibetan spiritual leader to ensure that Modi gets a good reception in Qingdao during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in June.
    But low-key, warm up celebrations in Dharamsala last week had an unexpected representative from India: George Baker. The nominated BJP MP from West Bengal defied the government’s directive and spent three days in Dharamsala with his Tibetan hosts.
    The former actor told Al Arabiya: “As a lawmaker, I can travel to any part of India. Moreover, Tibetans are victims of Chinese oppression and as a rabidly anti-Chinese Indian, it’s my national duty to join Tibetan celebrations.”
    Last Update: Wednesday, 21 March 2018 KSA 15:00 – GMT 12:00
    http://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2018/03/21/Is-India-abruptly-dumping-Dalai-Lama-to-be-in-China-s-good-books-.html

    Is India abruptly dumping Dalai Lama

  18. India has switched its policy on Tibet in order to align itself with China and gain economic benefits. With high unemployment rate and serious poverty issues in the countryside resulted in the Kisan Long March, as well as the uncertainties of the General Elections coming up in 2019, Modi’s government need to prioritise the interest of 1.3 billion people over 95,000 Tibetan refugees.

    As the largest recipient of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) under the “Belt & Road” initiative, India needs to maintain good relations with China, especially after the Doklam tension. The reality is the fact that India cannot afford to go to war with China as its army is not as well equipped and the cost of war would be astronomical. So India is now opting a conciliatory as opposed to a hardline approach in order to keep China at bay, and for PM Modi to possibly have a higher chance to succeed in the coming election.

    Modi and Xi are expected to meet this year on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in June this year at the Chinese city of Qingdao, and Modi’s congratulatory note to Xi for getting re-elected as the President on Chinese social media platform Weibo is a confirmation that further development of Sino-Indian bilateral relations is definitely under way.

    Tibet and India’s China Policy
    Is India sacrificing Tibet to improve a frosty relationship with China?
    By K.S. Venkatachalam
    March 20, 2018
    China’s foreign policy with India has oscillated between a ballistic approach and studied indifference. India’s approach, meanwhile, has recently flipped from a hardline to a conciliatory approach, confusing observers.
    At the heart of India-China tensions is the dispute over territory in the Aksai Chin area, and Tawang in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as a part of southern Tibet. Both countries have so far held 20 rounds of talks to settle the disputes, but, unfortunately, an acceptable solution has eluded them. To the credit of both sides, they have not allowed the situation to go out of control.
    However, the situation took a turn for the worse after the Doklam standoff in summer 2017. In spite of a propaganda blitzkrieg and other intimidating tactics adopted by China, India stood its ground. Although India is not a party to the Doklam dispute — that dispute is between China and the tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan — China’s forcible occupation of the area may threaten India’s security. Doklam is critical, as it would allow the Chinese troops to enter India through the Siliguri Corridor or “chicken’s neck” that links the northeastern states to the rest of India. China’s decision to enter Doklam was interpreted as a premeditated move to alter the status quo that had prevailed for decades.
    China was surprised by India’s tough posture. Eventually, after tense negotiations, both sides withdrew from the sensitive area, thus diffusing what could have led to an ugly conflict.
    India realizes that any war with China would not be in its interests, as the Chinese military is far stronger. On the other hand, China also recognizes that a conflict with India would adversely affect its humongous investment made in India’s neighborhood and that the best way forward would be to maintain peace along the border.
    Apart from the border disputes, another major irritant for China has been over the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, who in 1959 (along with tens of thousands of his disciples) was granted refuge in India, where he enjoys a special status. China considers Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist, who even today has great influence over Tibetans. It must be mentioned that Dalai Lama gave up his support for Tibetan independence in 1974, and only wants China to stop repression against the community.
    China did not take kindly to the Dalai Lama’s visit to the disputed area of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh last year. The Chinese termed his visit, particularly to Tawang, a “provocation” by India. India responded that “The government has clearly stated on several occasions that HHDL [His Holiness the Dalai Lama] is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected as such by the Indian people. No additional color should be ascribed to his religious and spiritual activities and visits to various states of India.”
    Since then, however, tensions have cooled. There have been several recent developments that were viewed with interest in India. China recently did not oppose the move of the United States to put Pakistan on the “grey list’” of the Financial Action Task Force for funding terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. China’s decision, especially when it has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan under its Belt and Road Initiative, came as a welcome surprise.
    Then, in a significant departure from its stated position on the Dalai Lama, New Delhi refused permission to the Central Tibetan Administration to hold the interfaith prayer and “Thank you India” functions in Delhi, which were scheduled to be held on March 31 and April 1. India’s foreign secretary, in a note to the cabinet secretary, advised the senior leaders and government functionaries not to participate in the events organized by Tibetan organizations as such a step would further deteriorate India’s relations with China.
    The note comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit China in June to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. Modi is expected to hold talks with the Chinese president on the sidelines of the summit. India does not want any incident that could derail the talks. According to China watchers, this prompted the cancellation of Tibetan events in Delhi.
    India’s decision has sent confusing signals to the Tibetans, as they have always looked upon India to support their cause. Many experts interpret India’s stand as weakness in light of the growing military power of China. According to defense experts, China is continuing to build up its military strength at Doklam and that India is unable to prevent the Chinese from building roads in the sensitive region. It is therefore important that the Indian prime minister takes up the issue with President Xi Jinping and impress on him that if China forcibly builds road in Doklam, it could have serious ramification on India-China relations. To achieve that goal, foreign policy experts worry that Modi may sacrifice the cause of Tibet at the altar of better relations with China.
    The ability of India and China to be global powers hinges on forming close economic ties and continuing efforts to engage with one another. This is sine qua non for ushering in peace and stability in the region. It is hoped that the Chinese government will take note of the significant shift in India’s policy on the Dalai Lama, and make every effort to improve bilateral ties. China’s positive response could persuade India to join the multibillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative. This will go a long way in strengthening relations, especially at a time when both the countries are embarking on their journey to become global powers.
    K.S. Venkatachalam is an independent columnist and political commentator.
    https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/tibet-and-indias-china-policy/

    tibet-and-indias-china-policy

  19. Looks like India is taking serious measures to ensure that the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in Dharamsala does not engage in any political activity perceived to be against Beijing.

    An event to mark 60 years of the Dalai Lama’s stay in India, originally planned in Delhi, was moved back to Dharamsala in order not to create issues for India as Sino-Indian ties are very tense at the moment. As a result, organisers were forced to hold the programme in the temple complex where the Dalai Lama and his followers have been living for decades.

    Many are speculating whether these cancellations and the new Indian government policy are permanent or just temporary. Looking at the series of engagements lined up between Delhi and Beijing, such as the upcoming visits to China by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, India is determine to mind Sino-Indian relations post-Doklam, which means the Tibetans should get ready for more bad news in the coming months.

    Dalai Lama event: Not Delhi or Dharamsala stadium, but temple zone
    By Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi, ET Bureau | Updated: Mar 16, 2018, 08.59 AM IST
    NEW DELHI: Tibetans in exile have moved the venue of an event to mark 60 years of Dalai Lama’s stay in India from the cricket stadium in Dharamsala to a temple complex in the region.
    The event was to be held in New Delhi initially but was shifted to Dharamsala shortly after a government note asked senior leaders and officials to refrain from attending it.
    The Tibetan government in exile had approached the administration for permission to use the cricket stadium but the organise the celebrations there.
    Government insiders denied any pressure was exerted on the organisers to give up the request for the Dharamsala stadium. “We have very cordial and warm relations with the Dalai Lama and are willing to do whatever we can to help his followers,” an official said.
    Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale had sent out a note last month to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, following which the latter issued a directive that it was not ‘desirable’ for senior leaders and government functionaries of the Centre or states to participate in programmes of the Tibetan government in exile. This was ostensibly done to avoid rubbing China the wrong way as Sino-Indian ties were delicately poised at the moment.
    China has described the Dalai Lama as a ‘dangerous separatist’.
    External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman are set to make separate visits to China next month.
    https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/dalai-lama-event-not-delhi-or-dharamsala-stadium-but-temple-zone/articleshow/63324851.cms

    Dalai Lama Event Not Delhi or Dharamsala

  20. Explosive to read all the details of the Indian Government. Without sounding too unsympathetic to Tibetans in India, it is time for the Tibetans to do something for themselves, taking into consideration that their Host, India is getting tired of Tibetans’ dependance on India’s graciousness and hospitality.

    India has a population of 1.2billion people and looking after their interest with economic cooperation with China is a smart move.

    To be sucked dry by the Tibetans is no longer a political smart move for India.

    What can Tibetans do? Not much as all the donations running in hundreds of millions of US dollars have gone into the hands of the CTA and its group of leaders.

    It is also doubtful that the 2 big countries like India and China will still succumb to the dirty tricks of schism by CTA.

    Like the Ban on Dorje Shugden, CTA has made all the wrong moves and the repercussions are coming back.

  21. Now that India has decided to improve her bilateral relationship with China, the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) are deprived of the honor and privileges that they have grown accustomed to. A state minister of Himachal Pradesh, invited as the Chief Guest decided not to turn up for the Tibetans’ March 10th event. Now there’s another bad news for the Tibetans. The 7th World Parliamentarian’s Convention on Tibet scheduled on April 26 – 28 in Delhi is canceled.

    The last global conference was held six years ago, and it is clear that the Tibet issue has not been high on anyone’s agenda for a long time. If we look at the trend now, it is clear that the Indian government prevents any official from attending any Tibetan events, and even refuses to host any discussion on the Tibet issue. With a series of upcoming high profile meetings between Indian and China officials, it looks like India is dropping its support on the Tibet issue completely. It remains to be seen how things will become worse for the CTA. The next thing we can expect to see is perhaps Indian officials will start avoiding to be seen with Tibetan officials, and perhaps even the Dalai Lama as they are courting China?

    Global lawmakers’ meet on Tibet called off
    By: Suhasini Haidar and Nistula Hebbar
    Updated: March 22, 2018 22:29 IST
    Decision comes as India seeks to reset ties with China, prepares for high profile visits.
    After the cancellation of events involving the Dalai Lama in Delhi, a global conference on Tibet, scheduled for next month, has also been put off, officials in Delhi and Dharamshala confirmed to The Hindu. The decision reflects “sensitivities” over upcoming high profile meetings between the Indian and Chinese leadership, they said.
    The cancellation of the 7th World Parliamentarian’s Convention on Tibet, which had been planned for April 26-28 in Delhi is significant as the high profile event was going to be held in India 24 years after it was first held.
    The last such convention, held in Canada in 2012, had attracted more than 50 parliamentarians from 30 countries.
    Preparations underway
    Preparations for the event this year were in full swing, and parliamentarians from the self-styled “Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE)” of the Central Tibetan Authority in India had met with several MPs in Delhi in December 2017 to extend invitations.
    “The World Parliamentarians conference on Tibet has been postponed,” confirmed former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP MP Shanta Kumar, who was the co-convenor of the conference.
    The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) did not give any reasons for the postponement, only saying that it had been done due to “unforeseen circumstances”. Mr. Kumar, who also heads the Indo-Tibet Parliamentarians forum, did not indicate any alternative date when the conference would be held.
    Tibetan community leaders also announced the “postponement” of the WPCT in the ongoing session of the ‘TPiE’ in Dharamshala this week.
    ‘Sensitive time’
    The Ministry of External Affairs and the MHA, which handles affairs of the Tibetan community in India, declined to formally comment on the development. But a senior official aware of the preparations for the conference, which lawmakers from more than 20 countries were expected to attend, admitted that the cancellation came for the same reasons an inter-faith religious ceremony at Rajghat on March 31 was cancelled and a public rally at Delhi’s Thyagaraja stadium on April 1 was moved to Dharamshala. The Dalai Lama was to attend both events.
    A spokesperson for the Dalai Lama’s Bureau had said while the government had not directly called for the cancellation of the events, its “concerns had been conveyed” to the Tibetan leadership, after reports that the Cabinet Secretary had put out a memo telling officials not to attend the events as it was a “sensitive time” for India-China relations, with several high profile meetings planned.
    Several senior Chinese party leaders, including Commerce Minister Zhong ,Shan are expected to visit Delhi in the next few weeks, while both Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Beijing in April.
    Meanwhile a diplomatic source said an “informal summit” between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping even before they meet in Qingdao in June for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is being “worked on”.
    Worrying u-turn
    A Member of Parliament, who asked not to be named, said the government’s ‘U-turn’ on the Tibetan issue had set off alarm bells in the Tibetan refugee community in India. “Leaders of the Tibetan ‘parliament in exile’ (TPiE) are worried and called to discuss whether this was a phase in Sino-Indian ties, or a more permanent situation,” said the MP, who was also involved in the planning of the WPCT.
    The moves are seen as an attempt to reset ties between New Delhi and Beijing, which have steadily deteriorated for the past few years. But in the last few weeks, a visit by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to Beijing, and China’s decision not to oppose a move against Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Paris have indicated that the narrative is turning.
    The government’s alleged memo to officials, a decision to cancel an Asian security conference organised by the Ministry of Defence think-tank — the Institute of Defence and Strategic Analysis (IDSA) — in early March at the last minute, as well as the Dalai Lama’s decision to skip a visit to Manipur for the Indian Science Congress, were seen as attempts to avoid any controversy with Beijing during the reset.
    http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/global-lawmakers-meet-on-tibet-called-off/article23324829.ece

    Global lawmakers’ meet on Tibet called off

  22. Time for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to wake up! CTA’s events are being rejected and postponed one by one. The CTA should realise by now that they are being strictly sidelined by India and nobody really wants to associate with them as they spell trouble. The Tibetans cannot be so oblivious, or maybe they are just too embarrassed to talk about it. Perhaps they are just too busy scrambling around to find out what event will be cancelled next from one of their insiders in the Indian government in order to save face, if there is any left to save.

    Another Tibetan event in Delhi deferred
    Shri Puri | TNN | Updated: Mar 24, 2018, 08:14 IST
    DHARAMSHALA: In a major jolt to Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), another major Tibetan event which was planned in Delhi in April has been deferred. Tibetan parliament deputy speaker Acharya Yeshi confirmed the development but refused to give any details.
    It is a second major Delhi slated Tibetan event to have been called off. Earlier, Thank You India event to mark 60 years of the exile of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was scrapped following the Union goverment’s directions to senior dignitaries to stay away from it.
    Now, ‘Global conference on Tibet’, which was to be held from April 26 to 28 in New Delhi, has been deferred. “The event has been postponed. It was to be hosted by the CTA in Delhi and parliamentarians from 30 countries were to participate it,” said Kangra MP Shanta Kumar, who was also to attend it.
    Repeated attempts to contact the Tibetan administration remained futile but well placed sources said no further dates have been announced for the event.
    He averted querries on reasons for the change of plan. Tibetan parliamentarian Karma Yeshi denied any knowledge about the development this. Another Tibetan MP Lobsang didn’t respond to calls on the phone.
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shimla/another-tibetan-event-in-delhi-deferred/articleshow/63436500.cms

    Another Tibetan event in Delhi deferred

  23. It might be wiser for the Indian government to develop a status for the Tibetans in exile residing in India, to pay taxes and other dues which are equivalent to being a resident in India. Especially for Tibetans who earn good income in India. This is a general practice in many nations around the world for temporary residence of the country. Otherwise Tibetans who want to live permanently in India should take up citizenship options and pay taxes too.
    Then it will be more fair for the Indian nationals.
    It will also avoid/reduce friction and other negative reactions from disgruntled Indian nationals.
    The CTA and Tibetans cannot expect to be receiving “charity” all the time. You will loose respect from the Indians and others around the world if you only “take” and never “give back”. The above sharing and comments shows that this is happening.

  24. This article highlighted damn good points and summarized how Tibetans are living off the Indians for 60 years. It’s good more and more Indians are speaking up and expressed their dismay to the unwelcomed Tibetans in their country. The india government should listen to their people’s sentiments and set up some systems to protect india citizens. Both indians and tibetans are living together, receiving same benefit from the country yet one pay taxes yet another don’t, just because they are not the citizen, but come on, aren’t u receiving the benefits from the country sucking people’s money too? It’s absolutely unfair for the Indians.

    Tibetans leaders Dalai Lama already expressed he wants to go back China, so all tibetans in exile should just shut your h*ll up and go back Tibet, China. Your tibet cause will not win and will never win, just pack and leave India and go back to your country. Don’t waste anymore time and resources. Face the truth, more and more countries are not supporting your tibet cause, u will never win.

  25. After so many incidents the Tibetans still does not wake up to the truth. You are the direct cause of your people’s self immolation, CTA. Your self-serving governance has caused many death and u’re happy more and more dying because of your f*cking tibet cause, of course u don’t wish you get independence, bcos once u get it, u stop receiving money from western county, no more dramas for u to mourn for the death and no reasons to shout for human rights. What a extreme selfish government and stupid tibetians still support u? real stupid.

  26. Things are going from bad to worse as the Tibetan leadership has to grapple with yet another problem. Not only does the Indian leadership now refuse to be seen with them, but tourists are no longer attracted to Dharamsala, whether it’s to attend teachings by the Dalai Lama or because they want to go somewhere exotic. The region has seen a tremendous drop in tourists especially for the month of March, which used to be peak tourist season when the town would overflow with visitors.

    And not only has the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) failed to host an annual summer festival that used to be a major tourist attraction, but now they are even blaming the cancellation on a lack of funds allocated by the Indian leadership. Does the CTA REALLY think this will improve their relationship with the Indian government? It is typical CTA mentality – if you don’t give things to them for free, they won’t do anything.

    And just to prove everyone really has NO idea what to do to bring the tourists back, they’re thinking of requesting the Dalai Lama to give even more teachings as an attraction point. Yes, they are going to ask an 82-year old man to do even MORE work to bring in the money. When will the CTA let the Dalai Lama retire? And yes, that’s right – they don’t want to request the Dalai Lama to give teachings because they want Dharma. They want the Dharma to make MORE MONEY. That’s how it has ALWAYS been with the CTA. So maybe the real reasons tourists are avoiding Dharamsala is because they’ve figured this out, and they have had enough of giving their money to a corrupt leadership that has exploited them financially for 60 years.

    Poor tourist inflow leaves Dharamsala hoteliers worried
    Lalit Mohan
    Tribune News Service
    Dharamsala, March 14
    The middle of March generally marks the onset of the tourist season in Dharamsala. However, hotels and tourism industry here is dejected.
    Sanjeev Gandhi, general secretary, Upper Dharamsala Hotel Association, while talking to The Tribune, said in March a lot of foreign tourists used to start pouring in the Dharamsala region. However, this year even the Dalai Lama teachings have failed to attract foreign tourists to Dharamsala.
    While about 50 per cent of the hotels have lost their power and water connections and are closed, the rest are witnessing just 10 per cent occupancy. The fall in tourist inflow in Dharamsala region is a matter of serious concern for the hotel industry which is a major employment generator in the area.
    Deepak Kumar, running a hotel booking agency, said that the upper areas of Dharamsala like Dharamkot and Upper Bhagsu used to be overflowing with tourists in the month of March. However, this year even these areas are also having very less tourists. A major reason for this is that the message has travelled among foreign and domestic tourists that most of the hotels in the region are closed. Due to it the tourists are avoiding Dharamsala region.
    Interestingly, despite strict action taken by authorities against the illegal hotels in the region construction work was going on in some of the illegal hotels. Some of the hoteliers alleged that it was due to the people who are resorting to illegal constructions that the entire industry was suffering. They have also blamed the authorities for not taking action against such erring hoteliers in time.
    In the recent past, members of the hotel association of Dharamsala had met Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. They had requested the CM that the Dalai Lama should be asked to hold more teachings in the Dharamsala region and the state government should facilitate it as it can boost the tourism and provide employment to people of the region.
    There was a demand that more events should be organized to attract the tourists. Earlier, a summer festival was organized in Dharamsala but during the stint of the previous Congress government the event was abandoned.
    After representations from the hoteliers, the Himachal Cabinet had decided that instead of the entire hotels only the illegal portions of the buildings would be sealed. However, the Cabinet decision is not likely to bail out the hotel industry in Dharamsala as many of the hotels constructed in the core area of McLeodganj were totally illegal.
    The state government has also announced that it would develop a vision policy for the development of various tourism zones in the state.
    It was being said that the policy proposal would be sent to the union government for financing. However, the policy is likely to take a lot of time and before that the state would have to do something on its own to boost tourism and save the sector that provides direct and indirect employment to highest number of people in the state.
    10 per cent occupancy
    * While about 50 per cent of the hotels have lost their power and water connections and are closed, the rest are witnessing just 10 per cent occupancy.
    * The fall in tourist inflow in Dharamsala region is a matter of serious concern for the hotel industry which is a major employment generator in the area.
    http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/poor-tourist-inflow-leaves-dharamsala-hoteliers-worried/557915.html

    Poor tourist inflow leaves Dharamsala hoteliers worried

  27. While the Dalai Lama said repeatedly he is the son of India, but so many Tibetans who are living on the land of India do not contribute much to the country they’ve stayed as refugees for more than 50 years. Tibetans are taking things for granted, for many have disregard whatever things happen in India, and they did not show much concern about the country, socially or politically.

    Imagine if you are an Indian who live on their on land, your standard of living, your wealth and other things in life is much lesser than Tibetan refugees – what would you feel? Most would think they are being used. And this is too bad.

    Being grateful is important especially when Tibetans are the guests on the India land for so many decades.

  28. The last time world parliamentarians met to discuss Tibet was in Canada in 2012. It has taken them six years to organize the same meeting, a sure sign that the world has had better things to do in the last six years than to discuss Tibet.

    However the latest meeting, scheduled to be held in New Delhi, has been cancelled, the reason being it is a “sensitive time” for India-China relations. This took place after India “conveyed its concerns” to the Tibetan leadership. While it may sound like a benign reason, this is not the first incident in recent times where India has directed the CTA to stop provoking China. Very significantly, the Indian Foreign Secretary also directed Indian officials not to attend CTA events hosted as part of their “Thank You India” campaign, meant to celebrate 60 years of Indian kindness towards the Tibetans.

    Apart from the cancelation of those Tibetan-related events, His Holiness the Dalai Lama also announced that he would not travel for the rest of the year. All seems to spell doom for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). It is clear that India does not want anything to do with the Tibetans, and it is only a matter of time India starts saying that Tibet is a part of China. So it seems that the only direction for the CTA now is to befriend China, just like the rest of the world is doing.

    World parliamentarians’ meet on Tibet in New Delhi put off
    MARCH 25, 2018 1:38 AM
    (TibetanReview.net, Mar24, 2018) – The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) at Dharamshala, India, has cancelled a planned meeting of parliamentarians from across the democratic world supportive of the Tibet issue scheduled to be held in New Delhi over Apr 26-28, reported thehindu.com Mar 22. The meet was to be the 7th World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet.
    The report quoted former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP MP Shanta Kumar, cited as the co-convenor of the conference, as confirming, “The World Parliamentarians conference on Tibet has been postponed.”
    The report cited India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as saying the meet had been postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances”. The report also said Mr Kumar, who heads the All-Party Parliamentarians Forum in the Indian parliament, did not indicate any alternative date when the conference would be held.
    The report said lawmakers from more than 20 countries were expected to attend the meet. It cited the MHA as admitting the cancellation came for the same reasons an inter-faith religious ceremony at Rajghat on Mar 31 was cancelled and a public rally at Delhi’s Thyagaraja stadium on Apr 1 was moved to Dharamshala.
    The report cited a spokesperson at the Bureau of HH the Dalai Lama in New Delhi as saying that while New Delhi had not directly called for the cancellation of the events, its “concerns had been conveyed” to the Tibetan leadership, after reports that the Cabinet Secretary had put out a memo telling officials not to attend the events as it was a “sensitive time” for India-China relations, with several high profile meetings planned.
    The parliamentarians’ meet is held after indeterminate gaps of several years, with the first one held 24 years ago in Dharamshala, and the last one in Canada in 2012.
    The report said preparations for the event were in full swing, and a delegation from the Tibetan Parliament in Exile had met with several MPs in Delhi in Dec 2017 to extend invitations. Also, President Lobsang Sangay of the CTA had asked Japanese MPs to attend the event during his recent visit to Tokyo.
    http://www.tibetanreview.net/world-parliamentarians-meet-on-tibet-in-new-delhi-put-off/

    (2) World parliamentarians meet on Tibet in New Delhi put off

  29. After the humiliation of their Chief Guest not attending the Tibetan Uprising Day event, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has resorted to keeping their list of invitees secret for the upcoming opening ceremony of the “Thank You India” campaign. This is an unprecedented move as they are always publicising who their special guests are.

    Could it be that none of the Indian dignitaries have agreed to grace the event so the CTA has no one to announce as yet? Or is it because the CTA are embarrassed and afraid that history may repeat itself, and are trying to prevent a similar incident where Chief Guest Kishan Kapoor did not show up after they had publicised he would be there? Or perhaps this is a way to go around the Indian government’s directive which discouraged Indian officials from attending Tibetan related events. Perhaps the CTA thinks that if the Indian government doesn’t know who the CTA invites, then the Indian government will not be able to contact the invitees and tell them not to go, again.

    One thing’s for sure, the CTA has lost its support from the Indian government. PM Modi is scheduled to visit China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in June and India will not allow any incident that may derail the talks.

    Embargo on information on Tibetans’ ‘Thank You India’ campaign
    Areeba Falak | Updated : March 24, 2018, 5:45 PM
    The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has embargoed all information related to the opening ceremony of the “Thank You India” campaign which is to start from 31 March at Dharamshala. The guest list of the dignitaries is being kept under wraps and will be revealed only a day before, said sources in the CTA.
    The “Thank You India” campaign was scheduled to begin with an inter-faith prayer meet headed by the Dalai Lama at Rajghat in New Delhi, but the venue was changed unceremoniously to Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, after the Indian government directed its officials at the Centre and state governments to refrain from participating in the campaign. Tibet’s government-in-exile, known as the Central Tibetan Administration, is based at Dharamshala. The prayer meet that was to be held at Rajghat was to be followed by a public event at Thyagraj Stadium, which too stands cancelled.
    Informed sources told The Sunday Guardian that the list of guests who are being invited is being kept a secret. “Generally, we do not embargo such information for our events, but for events of huge relevance, it has been done in the past for various security, strategic and political reasons. Last time, there was an embargo on our preparations when His Holiness Dalai Lama had to meet a high-level US Congressional delegation in May 2017,” a source said. In January, while announcing the “Thank You India” campaign in New Delhi, CTA president Dr Lobsang Sangay had said that he would like to gift the ensemble of the campaign to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which had led to speculation that PM Modi might participate in the campaign. However, sources in the CTA said that there is no progress on the gift.
    The campaign will continue as a pan-India one that will celebrate Tibet’s gratitude towards India for being a “father-like-figure”. However, the decision to change the venue of the mega event to be held on 31 March at Dharamshala has posed some logistic problems. A source said, “People whom we intended to invite might not be able to travel all the way to Dharamshala now. Delhi was a convenient venue. Because of these technical reasons, some important people might skip attendance.”
    As far as resentment among Tibetans towards the Indian government for restraining ministers and officials from participating in the campaign is concerned, a source in the CTA said, “Those who are well aware with internal matters and functioning know that this will not affect Tibet’s affection towards India. But among the common masses, the resentment has found a place. The people can take it as an offence that the gratitude that Tibetans were trying to express to India was ill-received, but, in the same breath, internal officials understand the circumstances.”
    Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, had said, “India’s position on the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. There is no change in that position.”
    Last year, when India had allowed the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, China’s state media had seen it as a “provocation” after which the heat subsided. But India’s denial to let its officials participate in the “Thank You India” campaign was seen as a change in India’s assertiveness towards Tibet. In June, PM Modi is scheduled to visit China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Observers point out that India did not want any incident that could derail the talks and played safe by refraining Indian officials and ministers from participating in Tibet’s “Thank You India” campaign.
    https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/embargo-information-tibetans-thank-india-campaign

    Embargo on information on Tibetans’ ‘Thank You India’ campaign

  30. This is probably the biggest slap in the face for the Tibetan leadership in Dharamsala. They have been using the Dalai Lama for years now in order to garner support, and flex their authority and influence over others. But in an interview to CNN-News18 earlier this month, the Dalai Lama said he does not care about the alleged pressure from China which caused the cancellation of the high-profile ‘Thank You India’ events in Delhi. The events were supposed to mark 60 years of the Tibetan government’s exile in India. On top of that, he said that the position of the Dalai Lama was no longer relevant, and that the Tibetan people – not the leadership – must decide on whether to continue the position or not.

    It seems like the Dalai Lama is leaving the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Tibetans in-exile to fend for themselves. No more spoon-feeding. Perhaps the Dalai Lama has had enough of being exploited by the Tibetan leadership and lost all hope in the Tibetan president’s paving the way for the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet or even Tibetan autonomy. In that case, isn’t the CTA comparatively more irrelevant than the Dalai Lama, since it failed to achieve what it set out to do decades ago?

    Dalai Lama To Kick Off Year-Long ‘Thank You India’ Events On Saturday
    The Central Tibetan Administration will organise a public event at the Tsuglagkhang temple on Saturday and the event will be attended by Indian dignitaries too.
    Aishwarya Kumar | News18.com
    Updated: March 27, 2018, 11:49 AM IST
    New Delhi: Marking the 60th year of exile in India, Tibetan Buddhist leader Dalai Lama is set to kick off yearlong pan India ‘Thank You India’ events on March 31.
    The Central Tibetan Administration will organise a public event at the Tsuglagkhang temple on Saturday and the event will be attended by Indian dignitaries too.
    In a statement, President Dr Losang Sangay said that Tibet is inextricably linked to India through geography, history, culture, and spiritually and that “the Tibetan struggle is ‘Made in India’ and said that ‘the success of the Tibetan struggle will be India’s success story.”
    The announcement of the spiritual leader’s attendance comes a month after, according to a report in the Indian Express earlier this month, foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had sent a note on February 22 to Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha, following which the “senior leaders” and “government functionaries” of the Centre and states were directed to skip events of exiled Tibetan leaders.
    The Centre later clarified that Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was free to “carry out his religious activities in India”, reacting to reports that the government has asked senior functionaries to “skip” all events by the “Tibetan leadership in India”.
    In an interview to CNN-News18 earlier this month, Dalai Lama had said that he doesn’t care about alleged pressure from China forcing the cancellation of events in Delhi to mark 60 years of the Tibetan government’s exile in India. He also said the position of the Dalai Lama has become irrelevant now and that the Tibetan people must decide on whether to continue it. The Tibetan government-in-exile shifted the high-profile event commemorating Dalai Lama’s 60 years of exile as an effort to bringing peace to relations between India and China.
    Many Tibetan activists are said to have communicated to relevant authorities as the development ‘humiliated’ Dalai Lama.
    China has for long considered the spiritual leader as a dangerous separatist and says Tibet is an integral part of its territory and has been for centuries. Beijing also says its rule ended serfdom and brought prosperity to what was a backward region, and that it fully respects the rights of the Tibetan people.
    “Today, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the best ambassador for Indian values of non-violence, ahimsa and inter-religious harmony and the promotion of basic human values: compassion and kindness,” said Dr Sangay.
    https://www.news18.com/news/india/dalai-lama-to-kick-off-year-long-thank-you-india-events-on-saturday-1700849.html

    Dalai Lama To Kick Off Year-Long Thank You India Events

  31. What an interesting article and am I glad that India is finally waking up to the deception of Tibetan Leaders. I would go as far as to say “two faced” Tibetan Leaders as they will fawn when aiming to gain and turn away when something better comes along. They have never cared for much except to look good and how much they can gain from their “poor me” image.

    India has been more than generous to the Tibetans in Exile since 60 years ago and who dares blame them for finally looking out for their own economic welfare in forming ties with the powerhouse, China. Definitely not, when Tibetan Leaders had never shown any gratitude towards their host in returning any favours. With the millions of donations received, nothing had been contributed towards their kindly host when they most needed it, like during the great drought in Southern India experienced last year. And worst still, to discriminate against India as the last choice for citizenship. My goodness, after 60 years as refugees, it should be the Indians looking down on the Tibetans in exile. Who stays 60 years in exile unless they are incompetent? I guess the Tibetan Leaderships had overestimated their level of “darlingship” and now the time as “flavour of the time” is over.

    Anyway I am not surprised at the failure of Tibetan Leaderships when looking at how coldly they could treat their own people just to further their self-serving political agenda. These Leaders could cause so much pain and sufferings in illogically tarnishing the authentic protector Dorje Shugden’s enlightened status. This effectively became a ban which caused families, friends, monasteries, etc. to divide and segregate, that then led to persecution, discrimination and abuses, some even died defending their rights of religion. If the Tibetan Leaderships can deem all these wrongful betrayal as right, just as a political cover-up for their failures to deliver promises to their people, then why would they be any more caring towards others, namely India. At least US got their monies’ worth of sponsorships, by getting the Tibetan Leaderships to be pawn or should I say thorn in propaganda against China. Indian got nothing at all!

    It is time India look out for themselves and align themselves with China which could bring such huge economical and political benefits to them and their people. China of today supports religious freedom and has laws in place to protect the rights of their people to practice the religion of their choice, especially Dorje Shugden practitioners, within China, including Tibet. May the Tibetan Leaderships please wake up to realise that feudalism does not work in today’s society and “Tibetans” are now officially Chinese as Tibet is a province of China.

  32. CTA making more enemies and this time the ppl of India again.Bravo.How kind and smart can CTA be.Raking millions of dollars from donations and never gave India any. Nvm not paying taxes,they spend on luxury but on themselves and not India,not Tibetans.How shameful that Indians are speaking up and asking them to leave.Not kind to India being host,no ownership,don’t care at all.CTA should mend relationships everywhere.They making more enemies.So thick skinned.

  33. The writing is on the wall. Time is really running out for CTA and the more they do to salvage, the more they will see the clear writing on the wall. India do not want CTA (as leeches) and Tibetans (stranded refugees) to be in India anymore. 60 years of generosity and kindness is great enough and for all to see. It is time for CTA to really understand what ungrateful really means. 😆

  34. People just need to wake up from different comfort zones, CTA is acting unwise to take things for granted from his faithful sponsorships and India. CTA can only accept the consequences of what they have been done to the world.

    BestFacebookStatusMindPictures-16883

  35. This is the scary moment for CTA. Their selfish act for the past 60 years towards India no longer acceptable. The Indian already show a very obvious sign that they are not on CTA side. If India can see how CTA taking advantage on them, the Tibetans should also realise how CTA is taking advantage on them. For 60 years what improvement has CTA brought to their people?

  36. CTA can pack their things up. 60 years of generosity from India was not a short time. Patience has a limit. Too bad CTA is underestimating India’s kindness and misused power to create more havoc in the country.
    What will you do if you have help a group of people out of compassion, when later found out they are culprits behind you?

  37. Another huge setback to the CTA who was so well treated by India for 60 years but now even India has given up on them and is becoming friends with China.

    This is the result when you only take from people but instead of sharing you only keep for yourself, even from India who has given so much to you!

    Well, you thank you India is not needed!

  38. Indian government asked their officer not to attend the event heald by CTA. This is a bad sign for CTA. CTA need to wake up and be more proactive to do something more positive and contribute to India which has been so kind for the past 60 years giving Tibetan shelter and preserve their culture and tradition.

  39. That’s a good news, finally India is stopping CTA to taking granted on their own country. Personally i don’t like to involve in any political issues. Always wish that the ban of Dorje Shugden lift soon and wish for CTA and HHDL make an official statement on websites to lift the ban of Dorje Shugden.

  40. This is a good news that India is now making friend with China, CTA has been using the status of exile to get donations but all these donations never go to their citizen, it only goes into the CTA’s pocket, so while India making friend with China, it is the huge set back as CTA is not slowly losing it’s ground of getting more donations for themselves. Tibetans should start to think about themselves and their future, its time they should decide whether to become india’s citizen or go back Tibet as China already open the gate for them to go back, with this, only they will suffer less.

  41. 当世界很多国家都在与中国建立良好关系时,藏人行政中央却还是和中国为敌,这不是为印度添麻烦吗? 这就是流亡在印度的藏人行政中央回报这60年来印度给予他们的恩德,我都看不下去了, 希望大家站出来说句话,不然受苦可是藏人本身。

  42. 2018 year is reflection year of CTA. what they had done at the pass, Instate of throwing party to India, now India is express the reason of unhappiness to CTA how ungladful there are over 60 year. CTA are just using their land to stay and without contribute anything to benifit and yet India still provided selther to stay for tibet refugee. India is making friendship with China now. If CTA not happy can pack their thing to prepare find other places in the world to stay. Goodbye CTA.

  43. As long as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Tibetan refugees are living on Indian soil, they will continue to be a thorn in the relationship between China and India, as China will continue to view India as harboring Tibetan separatists.

    So if Dr. Lobsang Sangay is serious about not wanting to “cause inconvenience” to India, he should do MUCH MUCH more than just moving the “Thank You India” from New Delhi to Dharamsala (which he was ordered to do anyway). He should stop condemning China and stop flying the Tibetan flag, which contradicts China’s policies regarding Tibet. And he should also use donations that the CTA receives to organize the return of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees to their home in China. Otherwise, whatever he says about not wanting to “cause inconvenience” to India is just lip service, like it has been for the last 60 years.

    Tibetans ‘Don’t Want To Discomfort India’, Cancel Mega Event
    After cancelling events in the national capital, the Tibetan government-in-exile will now start pan-India “Thank You India” programmes.
    All India | Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: March 28, 2018 20:12 IST
    The president of the the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Lobsang Sangay, on Wednesday said his government-in-exile “doesn’t want to cause inconvenience to host India”.
    Speaking on cancelling of events planned by his administration, earlier in New Delhi, to mark the beginning of the 60th year of the Dalai Lama stepping on India soil, he told reporters in Dharamshala: “Whatever we do, we don’t want to cause inconvenience to our hosts or to the persons who want to meet us.”
    “They may have particular reasons as to why these coming months are sensitive. So, we completely understand and respect that. There is no disappointment at all but rather an understanding of the situation,” he said.
    Lobsang Sangay was responding to a media query regarding a circular issued by the Indian government relating to the “Thank You India” events starting on March 31.
    Without mincing words, he said the government and people of India have done the most for Tibet.
    “Every year, in all the formal and non-formal events, we Tibetans always say thank you India. I think it’s important that we also demonstrate our gratitude in deeds.”
    “His Holiness the Dalai Lama calls himself a ‘son of India’. So, we should be saying thank you a lot. Moreover, our relationship with India is like parent and children. Therefore, we want to thank India,” he said.
    Amid the recent tensions with China, the Indian government was reported to have cautioned its senior officials last month to stay away from events aimed at marking the start of the Dalai Lama’s 60th year of exile.
    After cancelling events in the national capital, the Tibetan government-in-exile will now start pan-India “Thank You India” programmes to mark the beginning of the 60th year of the Dalai Lama arriving in India.
    The Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet to India in March 1959.
    To mark the events, Lobsang Sangay on Wednesday released a “Thank you India” music video, performed and produced by artistes of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, thanking India for its hospitality and assistance.
    Lobsang Sangay said the year-long events lined up as part of the campaign include a mass tree plantation drive to support a green India movement, participating in Yoga Day events organised by the government of India, distribution of food to the hungry and homeless and a mass cleanliness drive to observe the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat initiative.
    Acknowledging the growing Chinese pressure on global leaders on the Tibet issue, Lobsang Sangay said: “Wherever I go, be it Europe, the US, the pressure is increasing.”
    The CTA is organising a public event in Dharamshala to officially launch the “Thank You India” campaign on March 31.
    It will be one of the largest events ever organised by the Tibetans in Dharamsala and hundreds of guests are expected to attend, including Naren Das, a member of the first delegation that received the Dalai Lama when he first set foot on India.
    Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will attend the event.
    The Dalai Lama, in an interview to CNN News18, has said he “doesn’t care about how Chinese pressure forced the cancellation of the events of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Delhi”.
    He said it was more about “how you feel for Tibetans and how Tibetans feel for India”.
    The Tibetan administration in exile is based in the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.
    https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tibetans-dont-want-to-discomfort-india-cancel-mega-event-1829921

    Tibetans Dont Want To Discomfort India-Cancel Mega Event

  44. It’s the beginning of the end for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). How can the Dalai Lama, whom Tibetans believe to be the Buddha of Compassion Chenresig, be exhausted? Lets say the Dalai Lama is just a simple monk which he often claims. Even as a simple monk, the Dalai Lama is also a seasoned tantric practitioner who has been practising tantra for decades so he should be able to easily heal himself through controlling his winds. So why is the Dalai Lama exhausted and not healing himself? The logical conclusion is that the Dalai Lama is purposely manifesting exhaustion.

    Whatever the Dalai Lama’s reasons are, one thing is for sure and that is the cancelation of the Dalai Lama’s travel schedule will speed up the decline of the CTA. Everyone knows that the Dalai Lama is the breadwinner of the Tibetan refugees and the CTA because the world likes him. They give money because they want to support HIM through supporting the Tibetan people. But as the Dalai Lama reduces his visibility from travelling less, and also becomes less accessible, the world will slowly forget about him and the support, especially of a financial nature, to the Tibetan cause will weaken.

    So Lobsang Sangay, the President of the CTA, has failed to perform in his role despite the support of the Dalai Lama. He’s not as well-liked or as attractive to support as the Dalai Lama. Hence in the future, without the backing of the Dalai Lama, Lobsang Sangay will never be able to sustain the CTA, and he will not be able to raise the same amount of awareness and fund as the Dalai Lama did, because no one knows who he is.

    The end of the CTA draws closer every day.

    Most of Dalai Lama’s 2018 foreign tours cancelled
    MARCH 27, 2018 11:00 PM
    (TibetanReview.net, Mar27, 2018) – The Dalai Lama is said to have cancelled most of his foreign travels for the rest of this year due to his octogenarian age and tiredness. Earlier, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, had told the Tibetan Parliament in Exile during its Mar 14-24 session that the cancellation had nothing to do with any recent contact with China.
    The Dalai Lama is exhausted and this has made it very difficult for him to commit to his intensive travel schedule, newsweek.com Mar 25 cited Mr Sonam Dagpo, the CTA’s foreign relations secretary as saying.
    He has said the Dalai Lama had been invited to several countries but had cut down his public engagements due to his age. “He is exhausted after teaching for a long period of time. Therefore, a few commitments have been canceled.”
    Dagpo has clarified, however, that the Dalai Lama’s health was not at risk and the cancellations had only been due to him being exhausted from what his teaching practices involved. He has said that while the ribbon cutting ceremonies and inaugurations only last a couple of hours, his teachings can last for several days.
    The Dalai Lama most recently addressed a gathering at the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies’ (CIHTS) on Mar 20. But a schedule section currently shows no further dates for the year, the report noted newsweek.com.
    However, one visit said to be confirmed is to Switzerland in September for the 50th anniversary of the Tibet Institute at Rikon.
    The report cited the CNN to point out that the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, who will turn 83 in July, had traveled to eight foreign countries last year, compared to 16 the year before.
    Though fully retired from politics in 2011, the Dalai Lama has made it clear that he will continue to take active interest to seek a solution to the Tibet issue with China.
    Beijing has made it clear that it remains interested to talk, if at all, only with the Dalai Lama while insisting that there is no Tibet issue to be discussed.
    Recent media reports in India said the Dalai Lama’s emissary Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, a former head of the CTA, had undertaken a clandestine visit to China in Nov 2017 and held talks with officials there. But this was later reported to have been denied by Samdhong Rinpoche himself.
    And President Lobsang Sangay told the exile parliament that whether any visit did or did not take place was a personal matter to Samdhong Rinpoche. He also said any Tibetan discussing Tibet with China was required to take the CTA into confidence.
    http://www.tibetanreview.net/most-of-dalai-lamas-2018-foreign-tours-cancelled/

    Most of Dalai Lama’s 2018 foreign tours cancelled

  45. See? Already said that if CTA continue like this, they will only lead to doom. Now India also starts voicing out about Tibetan leadership. A country that has been helping Tibetans in exile for 60 years! No a single return still never mind, now Dalai Lama already said Tibet is not looking for independent, then why are Tibetans still in India, residing on free land, getting free donation, without paying tax, and what does CTA still exist for???? All the Tibetans in India, including CTA, Lobsang Sangay, Dalai Lama, should go back to your own country, Tibet!

  46. When Nepal said ‘no more’ to Tibetan activists protesting in Nepal, they seriously meant it. To show just how serious and efficient they are, they even took a Tibetan activist into custody after he posted a picture holding a Tibetan flag in front of the Boudhanath Stupa on Facebook.

    If Tibetans really wish to continue living in peace in foreign countries, they had better follow the rules of that host country and toe the line. Overzealous activism for the Tibetan cause will no longer be tolerated in countries, such as Nepal, which are trying to improve ties with China. When will the Tibetans wake up and realise that they can no longer fight against China, a superpower with far-reaching influence in international affairs?

    Tibetan activist detained for nine days in Nepal after Tibetan flag Facebook photo
    MOLLY LORTIE, THE TIBET POST INTERNATIONAL 29 MARCH 2018
    Dharamshala — Reports indicate that a Tibetan activist was detained in Nepal for nine days after posting a picture of himself with a Tibetan flag on Facebook.
    According to a report from International Campaign for Tibet, Tibetan activist Adak took a picture of himself holding a Tibetan flag near Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu and posted it to Facebook. Three days after posting the image, police approached him, he told ICT.
    Police showed him the photograph and upon confirmation that it was his picture, they took him into custody. Adak told ICT that he was slapped and kicked in the process but was not further beaten in custody. He said that police threatened to deport him to Tibet.
    According to ICT, Adak was held from March 14 to March 22, when he was released after the Nepalese human rights organization, HURON, intervened on his behalf.
    Adak is a member of the Tibetan Volunteers Group in Nepal, who planned peaceful protests in 2008. Though, Adak told ICT that, “for the past three years or more it has been too dangerous for the group to carry out any form of peaceful protest due to China’s influence in Nepal. Letters to the embassies and photographs on social media are different and lower profile forms of advocacy that we have sought to adopt.
    “I don’t know how the Nepalese police knew about the photo on Facebook,” Adak told ICT. “We can only assume it is interference from the Chinese. Nowadays the situation for Tibetans in Nepal is almost the same as for Tibetans in Tibet.”
    After his release Adak was admitted to hospital and put on a glucose drip, as his health was affected by his period in custody. For his own safety, he has now left Nepal for India during the politically sensitive anniversary month of March.
    After his release Adak was admitted to hospital and put on a glucose drip, as his health was affected by his period in custody. For his own safety, he has left Nepal for India.
    There are increasing dangers for Tibetans in Nepal as ties between Nepal and China deepen. There are rumors of a high-level Chinese delegation visit to Kathmandu soon.
    http://www.thetibetpost.com/en/news/exile/6092-tibetan-activist-detained-for-nine-days-in-nepal-after-tibetan-flag-facebook-photo

    Tibetan activist detained for nine days in Nepal after Tibetan flag Facebook photo

  47. India has swapped its hard line approach to China. Top Indian officials distanced themselves from the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) after a directive from India’s Foreign Secretary to avoid events hosted by the Tibetan leadership, and after the enforcement of an unprecedented ban on Tibetans holding a rally with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.

    Now it has been announced in Reuters that the Tibet card is no longer a strategic tool for India, and the Dalai Lama himself has said that the position of the Dalai Lama has become irrelevant now.

    All of this easily leads to the conclusion that the CTA will soon be defunct. India is offering citizenship to Tibetans in India. The flow of refugees arriving in Nepal and India has been curtailed for the last decade after Nepal closed a popular route used by refugees leaving Tibet. The President of the Tibetan leadership Lobsang Sangay is plagued by various scandals on a near-daily basis, and Tibetans in exile are protesting and calling for his impeachment. Another possible leader of the Tibetans in exile, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the head of the Karma Kagyu sect has been abroad for the past year to “rest and recover” due to health concerns. With no viable leader without the Dalai Lama, and having lost their biggest supporter and ally in India, it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the CTA.

    Dalai Lama faces cold shoulder as India looks to improve China ties
    Sanjeev Miglani
    MARCH 29, 2018 / 8:14 PM / UPDATED 8 HOURS AGO
    NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, faces increasing isolation in his home in exile as India tones down an assertive stand toward its powerful neighbor and rival, China, in the hope of calming ties strained by a border stand-off.
    The Asian giants were locked in a 73-day military face off in a remote, high-altitude stretch of their disputed border last year, with, at one point, soldiers from the two sides throwing punches and stones at each other.
    The confrontation between the nuclear-armed powers in the Himalayas underscored Indian alarm at China’s expanding security and economic links in South Asia.
    China’s ambitious Belt and Road initiative of transport and energy links bypasses India, apart from a corner of the disputed Kashmir region, also claimed by Pakistan, but involves India’s neighbors Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives.
    Now Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist government, is reversing course, apparently after realizing its hard line on China was not working, and the Dalai Lama is facing the cold shoulder.
    “We are moving forward with this relationship, the idea is to put the events of 2017 behind us,” an Indian government source involved in China policy said.
    The idea is to “be sensitive” to each other’s core concerns and not let differences turn into disputes, the source said.
    The Dalai Lama has lived mostly in the north Indian town of Dharamsala since 1959, when he fled a Chinese crackdown on an uprising in his homeland.
    In Dharamsala, his supporters run a small government in exile and campaign for autonomy for Tibet by peaceful means. India has allowed him to pursue his religious activities in the country and to travel abroad.
    Early this month, India issued an unprecedented ban on Tibetans holding a rally with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the failed uprising against Chinese rule.
    ‘DEEPLY RESPECTED’
    This week, the Dalai Lama canceled a visit to the Indian border state of Sikkim this week, hosted by authorities there, officials say, lest it offended China.
    Sikkim is south of the Doklam plateau where the hundreds of Indian and Chinese soldiers confronted each other last year after India objected to China’s construction of a road in an area claimed by India’s tiny ally, Bhutan.
    Even “thank you” rallies by Tibetans planned for New Delhi to show appreciation to India for hosting the Dalai Lama and his followers have been shifted to Dharamsala.
    India’s foreign ministry said the government had not changed its position on the Dalai Lama.
    “He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. His Holiness is accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India,” spokesman Raveesh Kumar said.
    But India’s recent attitude is in stark contrast with his former treatment.
    In 2016, the Dalai Lama was invited to India’s presidential palace for a ceremony honoring Nobel Peace prize winners. The government later allowed him to visit the disputed state of Arunachal Pradesh, disregarding Chinese objections.
    China reviles the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist and his activities in India have always been a source of friction, and a tool with which India can needle China.
    “Tibet has utility to irritate China, but it is becoming costly for us now. They are punishing us,” said P. Stobdan, a former Indian ambassador.
    China has blocked India’s membership of a nuclear cartel and it also blocks U.N. sanctions against a Pakistan-based militant leader blamed for attacks on India.
    ‘UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT’
    The Tibetan government-in-exile has been phlegmatic, expressing understanding of the shifting circumstances and gratitude to India for hosting the Dalai Lama for 60 years.
    “The Indian government has its reasons why, these coming months are sensitive, and we completely understand and respect that so there’s no disappointment at all,” Lobsang Sangay, the head of the government in exile told reporters.
    China has hailed better ties.
    “Everyone can see that recently, due to the efforts of both sides, China-India relations have maintained positive momentum and development, and exchanges and cooperation in all areas have achieved new progress,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Thursday.
    Lu said China was willing to work with India to maintain exchanges on all levels and to increase mutual political trust and “appropriately control differences”.
    A flurry of visits is planned.
    Next week, India National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is heading to China and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj is due to visit in April.
    Modi will visit in June for a regional conference and talks with President Xi Jinping.
    The two sides are also expected to revive “hand-in-hand” counter-terrorism exercises when India’s defense minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, visits China in April, a defense source said. The drills were suspended earlier.
    Additional reporting Michael Martina in BEIJING; Abhishek Madhukar in DHARAMSALA and Zarir Hussain in GUWAHATI; Editing by Robert Birsel
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china/dalai-lama-faces-cold-shoulder-as-india-looks-to-improve-china-ties-idUSKBN1H51O7

    Dalai Lama faces cold shoulder as India looks to improve China ties

  48. This is really pay back time for CTA. The Indian government felt that they had enough of their nonsense. Imagine Tibetans in exiled have been living in Dharamsala for 60 years for free and not contributing anything back to the Indian government. Tibet belongs to China and it is time for the Tibetans to go back to China for good.

  49. After weeks of speculation following India’s change of policy towards the Tibetans in exile, the Indian government announced this morning at the opening of the ‘Thank You India’ event in Dharamsala that India supports the Dalai Lama’s struggle to return to China.

    The statement from the Union Minister Mahesh Sharma is particularly significant because it was delivered at this specially organized event for Tibetans in exile to express their gratitude to India for protecting and hosting the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees for almost 60 years.

    Clearly, India wants the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees to return to China and stop being a thorn in the relationship between these two Asian giants. This direction is one that the Dalai Lama agrees with since he has said on numerous occasions that he wishes to return and Tibet wants to stay in China.

    If the Tibetans are sincere when they say that India is the guru and Tibetans are the students (shishya), they should appreciate the Indian government’s wish for them to return home and stop creating trouble for India.

    Tibetans’ ‘Thank You India’ event Highlights: India supports Dalai Lama’s struggle to return to Tibet, says Mahesh Sharma
    Tibetans’ Thank You India event: The year-long event has been planned by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile headquartered here, to mark 60 years of the Dalai Lama’s arrival in India.
    By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi |
    Updated: March 31, 2018 12:00:34 pm
    11:51AM
    31 Mar,18
    ‘We support the Dalai Lama’s struggle for returning to his country’
    When it’s issue of relations between India and Tibet, there is no need for a thank you. This is an emotional moment, the word refugee is painful you are our friends and guests in India. Tibetans have integrated Indian culture as flower and fragrance, thus the word thank you does not hold a meaning. We are committed to protecting and supporting the Tibetan culture. Prime Minister Modi is taking Indian culture and traditional message of peace to the world and Tibetan culture is part of it., said Mahesh Sharma. Sharma added, “We support the Dalai Lama’s struggle for returning to his country.”
    http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dalai-lama-tibet-thank-you-india-event-live-updates-cta-china-bjp-5118008/?#liveblogstart

    Thank You India’ event LIVE UPDATES India supports Dalai Lama struggle to return to Tibet, says Mahesh Sharma

  50. Tibetans throw Dalai Lama statue into River in Tibet

    Tibetans are sick and tired of the Tibetan in-exile leadership and are showing their frustration by throwing the 14th Dalai Lama’s statue into the river. What’s more shocking was that this incident happened in Amdo, the birth province of the Dalai Lama where he is highly revered.

    The failure of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in advancing the Tibetan cause for six decades, combined with more recent setbacks like being snubbed by their host India, means that patience in Tibet is wearing thin. As more world leaders distance themselves from the Dalai Lama and the CTA, the chance for Tibetan autonomy or even the return of Tibetans in-exile to Tibet is bleak. The Dalai Lama is still branded a separatist with no sign of dialogue with China in sight.

    For all the negative actions done to Dorje Shugden practitioners for decades, including denying their basic rights to health care, food, education etc., and encouraging ostracism and discrimination against them, the karma now returns to the CTA in manifold ways. The Tibetans now denounce their ‘God-King’, signalling that the CTA’s final end is not too far away.\

    http://video.dorjeshugden.com/comment-videos/comment-1522524144.mp4


    DalaiLamaAmdoStatue

Submit your comment

Please enter your name

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter your message

Show More
Show More
+

(Allowed file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, maximum file size: 10MB each)

You can now upload MP4 videos to the comments section. "Choose File" -> click "Upload" then wait while your video is processed. Then copy the link and paste it into the message box. Your video will appear after you submit your comment.
Maximum size is 64MB

Contemplate This

.…Instead of turning away people who practise Dorje Shugden, we should be kind to them. Give them logic and wisdom without fear, then in time they give up the ‘wrong’ practice. Actually Shugden practitioners are not doing anything wrong. But hypothetically, if they are, wouldn’t it be more Buddhistic to be accepting? So those who have views against Dorje Shugden should contemplate this. Those practicing Dorje Shugden should forbear with extreme patience, fortitude and keep your commitments. The time will come as predicted that Dorje Shugden’s practice and it’s terrific quick benefits will be embraced by the world and it will be a practice of many beings.

Dorje Shugden and Dalai Lama – Spreading Dharma Together | Terms of Use | Disclaimer

© DorjeShugden.com 2024 | All Rights Reserved
Total views:10,630,868