The Visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang

theyyamdancer

Ahead of the upcoming visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang in November 2009, if all goes according to plan, today's issue of Tehelka has the following interesting article which discusses the views of some Tibetan refugees interviewed in Arunachal Pradesh:


http://www.tehelka.com/story_main43....etween_the.asp

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"Wandering seemed no more than the happiness of an anxious man." - Albert Camus

migrantuxo

This is also affecting Sikkim.....

As part of a Bhutia family......because of my partner...I can say a lot of Sikkimese are worried about the Chinese stance on the border issue.
Although they feel themselves to be Sikkimese first.... they certainly feel Indian as a second.

China just can't let go........for them its always about what they want or perceive to be historically part of greater China.
what comes after they were to get Arunchal Pradesh?...... kashmir?.....sikkim..... Bhutan.
after that it would be Nepal?
If they keep it up Terrai would be called Southern Tibet in about 50 years from now.

Lets hope they lighten up a bit ......but judging by the attitude of some of my Chinese colleages......... Not much room for discussion....they are sure they are right

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Don't tell me that INDIA owes you anything. It was there FIRST.

windrider24584

Whatever the Chinese fuss about, HH Dalai Lama is in Tawang and people of Tawang showed they are/were always Indians first.

PeakXV

Tawang was/is historically, culturally Tibetan. Being 'added' to India in 1951, as it turned out, was probably the next best thing in preserving the region as close as possible to her Lamaist Ruled past.

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What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

windrider24584

Being culturally Tibetan doesnt imply that it is/was a Tibetan territory.India is a country that is melting point of many cultures.Tibetan Govt themselves agreed on McMahon Line.If being culturally similar to any other nation is the benchmark of laying territorial claims over it then India can claim entire South East Asia, SriLanka, Maldives,Nepal, Bhutan,Afghanistan, parts of Central Asia even the entire Tibet as Indian Territory.HH Dalai Lama himself and Tawang Monastery authorities cited they have proofs that Tawang was never part of Tibet.

PeakXV

Nor does it imply that it was a part of India or that the sixth Dalai Lama was born/discovered there because of any map cut in stone.

It was under Tibetan authority until 1951 & the history religion, lifestyles, weaving & dress of the three Monpa groups bind them to Tibet & Bhutan West/North rather than that of the 'seven sisters' East/South.

Geopolitical buffers/barriers are just that at times - barriers that divide often like people for someone's peace of mind, security blanket & thumb(?) to suck on.

windrider24584

The problem is these remote , inaccessible areas were called NEFA(North East Frontier Agency)and the British used NEFA as buffer state. They never annexed or administered NEFA directly but used tribal chieftains as shield. The same reason why they never annexed Nepal & Tibet even after Francis Younghusband opened Lhasa to the western world.These mountainous areas were so inaccessible that it did not mattered to them who administered their territories. Even today, these areas are so impoverished, lacks infrastructure that practically , due to this controversy between India and China , Tawang is getting attention. There are several other parts both in India & China , where residents everyday fight a battle to earn their living.Dont know much about China, but consider the Sentinelese, Jarwas Tribes of Andamans, Gaddis of Himachal, Saontals, Ladakhis, tribals of Central India and many more poor, oppressed people .....does it really matter?
I visited Tawang exactly 2 years ago.I was awestruck by its remoteness and lifestyle of people. Back home most of people didn't even heard of Tawang, Bomdilla etc apart from travel, military history enthusiasts.Today due to this heightened controversy Tawang has become a household name. I would rather say whatever modern facilities they got entirely due to the presence of the Indian Army and similar story in the other side of McMahon Line.If there were no controversy then it would have not received this little development also.Can you imagine a town with only one cyber cafe that too running on two PCs of prehistoric configuration and dial up connection, only 2 or 3 ATMs over entire stretch of around 300 Kms from Tezpur to Tawang.But still people in these areas have shown solidarity and patriotism as Indians. They think themselves as Indians not as Tibetan or Tawangese(?) unlike other separatists of NE like ULFA, Nagaland, Mizoram.Elderly people who are living with memories of 1962 Chinese incursion are still horrified of PLA. No one ever complained of any human rights violation by Indian Army in these areas unlike Kashmir Valley, Manipur etc.I wonder(entirely personal opinion), if allegations are true,then why bad guys of Indian Army choose Kashmir Valley not Ladakh , why they choose Manipur not Tawang? May be not enough truth in allegations also. It is much easy to attract attention of media, human rights agencies and public sentiment, sympathy towards if one can involve the ruling government & its agencies in charge of human rights violation.