By Namita Kohli
New Delhi, July 5: As Tibetans in the city celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 71st birthday today, there will be a lot more on their minds than the festivity. Coinciding with the celebrations is the opening of the Nathu La or the historic silk road connecting Kalimpong in Sikkim to Lhasa in Tibet, after a gap of 44 years.
The move is raising geo-political concerns among many in the community. ‘‘It’s a good thing, but we need to be cautious,’’ says 82-year-old Lobsang Tsewang, a monk at the temple at the city’s Majnu-Ka-Tilla.
Many like Tsewang are sceptical about the initiative that comes in the wake of the recent thawing of relations between India and China.
According to Norzon, the traders and local shopkeepers in Majnu-ka-Tilla are not sourcing any raw material or goods from Tibet, so the increased trade flow will not affect them.
But even as there’s a sense of scepticism and uncertainty among the older generation, for students like Lhakpa Tsering, the opening means ‘‘better communication and transparency in affairs.’’
Says the 22-year-old Political Science student at Ramjas College, ‘‘It’s the age of globalisation and this will assure better trade ties. I came to India in 1997, but it’s difficult to go back. So maybe the route and the consequent better relations with China will ease out those restrictions.’’
‘‘With the opening of this route, Indians will have a first-hand account of the ground situation in Tibet, including remote places. They will get to know facts beyond what is official propaganda,’’ said Tsering.
