By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, MARCH 4: India has rejected China’s warning that the Dalai Lama’s upcoming visit to Arunachal Pradesh will damage ties in the region, asserting that the Tibetan leader will be accorded a warm welcome during his visit to the region next month.
Union minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju will personally receive the Tibetan spiritual leader when he visits the disputed border state from April 4-13. “The Dalai Lama will be a guest of the Arunachal Pradesh government and as a devotee, I will meet him in Tawang,” he said. “He is going there as a religious leader, there is no reason to stop him. His devotees are demanding he should come, what harm can he do? He is a lama.”
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry said the visit by the Tibetan leader who it considers a “separatist” to the border state with sizeable Buddhist population will disturb peace in the border region it claims as its territory.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said India is not taking the issue seriously. “India is fully aware of the seriousness of the Dalai Lama issue and the sensitivity of the China-India border question. Under such a background if India invites the Dalai Lama to visit the mentioned territory, it will cause serious damage to peace and stability of the border region and China-India relations,” said the foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Friday.
China has regularly objected New Delhi for allowing top officials, leaders and diplomats to visit the state. In October last year, the then US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma’s presence at Tawang Festival in October last year also drew criticism from Beijing.
Last year, New Delhi allowed the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje to travel to the border state on his maiden visit since fleeing into exile in 2000 leading to opposition from Beijing.
Dubbed as ‘Southern Tibet’, Beijing lays territorial claim over the disputed state, which remains a bone of contention between the two super powers of Asia. The two nations have held 18 rounds of discussions so far on the border dispute.
