On Tawang

The Dalai Lama’s visit to the Tawang region was marked by distinctive fraying of relations between India and china. This visit also intensifies the confusion about the successor to His Holiness. Will the Karmapa, another icon of Tibetan resistance be the One? Though they belong to two different schools of thought, yet, oppression binds them together. India becomes a pawn in this deadly game between Tibet and china; not that India doesn’t have issues of its own with china. Claiming the entire Arunachal Pradesh as their territory, the Chinese are making an “in your face” incursion into India. While the ghosts of the ’62 war still haunt us, we tolerate such an audacious move only because we are weak. Throughout the history of mankind, the weak have always been oppressed. So, be it Tibet or India, both stands on the brink of being crushed by the Chinese warhorse. The only reason for India’s survival until now is its international significance and geopolitical position. But how long will these flimsy protection mechanisms save India? Chinese intentions are bare for all to see. Every Indian military chief reiterates the need to repair the chinks in our national defence armour-namely, manpower and technology. But, are we listening? No. Just make a visit to Beijing or Shanghai and you will come to know the difference. The same is applicable to the young Tibetans who wear “Free Tibet” headbands at every Sino-Indian meeting. It is high time we woke up and took our protection seriously. Otherwise, the fate of Tibet will not be so alien to us.