By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, July 10 – India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao met with the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the latter’s residence here, sources said. Rao, former ambassador to China and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, arrived earlier today from the Indian capital with Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary (East Asia) in the external affairs ministry.
Sources said the meeting between Rao and the Tibetan leader lasted about an hour. Rao’s visit is kept away from the media like earlier visits by her predecessors Syam Saran and Shiv Shankar Menon.
Rao’s visit comes less than a week after India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon met Chinese premiere Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and State Councillor Dai Binguo in Beijing.
China criticizes India for allowing the Tibetan refugees to engage in political activities on its soil. India, on the other hand takes utmost care to control political activities by Tibetan refugees who often face arrest and detention for protests against China on Indian soil.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama usually describes India’s position on Tibet as “overcautious.” The Tibetan leader last year was given a go ahead by the Indian government to visit Arunachal Pradesh, an Indian state that China claims as its territory. However, the Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna told reporters that his government had no objections to the Tibetan leader visiting any part of India provided he did not talk politics.
Nirupama Rao is heading back for Delhi tomorrow afternoon.
