Claude Arpi gives a fascinating firsthand account of the Dalai Lama's arrival in Tawang in March 1959 and explains why he will once again receive a grand welcome, whether Beijing likes it or not.
The clarification comes after some news media reported that the centre had allegedly asked officials to skip Dalai Lama events, in a bid to mend fences with Beijing.
Senior analyst B Raman explores the route Tibet and China will have to take in case the Dalai Lama is no longer there.
'My thoughts come from the Nalanda Buddhist tradition and this body has lived on Indian dal, rice and chapattis during the last 51 years.' The Dalai Lama, who is 75 today, in an exclusive interview.
The Tibetan leader was to reach Tawang by chopper on April 4 but due to bad weather, he travel over 550 km by road from Guwahati to reach Tawang.
Angry over the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, China on Tuesday said it was 'strongly dissatisfied' with India for allowing the Tibetan spiritual leader to travel to the state, over which it lays claim. On the third day of the Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China 'firmly' opposed the trip, which was 'separatist' in nature. "We firmly oppose the Dalai Lama's visit to the region," said a senior official.
Talks between China and special envoys of the Dalai Lama were not a Sino-Tibetan dialogue, but a meeting with two 'private representatives' of the spiritual leader on the future of His Holiness and his associates, write B Raman.
The Dalai Lama intends to travel to Arunachal in the middle of November, which the Tibetan government-in-exile says has nothing to do with politics.
The Dalai Lama will be in the north eastern state from April 4 to 13 and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju.
Dressed in his Assam Rifles uniform, 76-year-old Das, said that he escorted the Dalai Lama as his armed guard in 1959.
Professor Robert Thurman, senior scholar at Columbia University and one of the Dalai Lama's oldest supporters, speaks to Claude Arpi about his relations with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the present state of capitalist' China, the Buddhist wave in the West, his idea of a Second Renaissance and his work for preserving Indian shastras.
China on Wednesday warned that it will take "necessary measures" to defend its territorial sovereignty and interests after India "obstinately" allowed the Dalai Lama to visit the "disputed" parts of Arunachal Pradesh causing "serious damage" to the bilateral ties.
The Dalai Lama on Thursday condemned media censorship in China, saying the Chinese people have a right to know the truth about happening in Tibet.
Top aides to United States President Barack Obama on Monday held talks with the Dalai Lama ahead of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader's planned US visit in October.
Top aides to United States President Barack Obama on Monday held talks with the Dalai Lama ahead of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader's planned US visit in October. Led by Valerie B Jarret, White House adviser and assistant to the President for inter-governmental affairs and public engagement, Obama's three senior aides had a two-hour closed-door meeting with the Dalai at his residence at Mcleodganj, about 22 km from Dharamsala.
The mood in Mcleodganj was upbeat with locals, Tibetans and foreigners attending a function, which started around 8:30am, to mark the occasion.
Spiritual leader Dalai Lama believes that if his successor is going to be a female, she better be good looking.
China on Tuesday accused the Dalai Lama of "masterminding" the self-immolation bid by a Tibetan activist in New Delhi ahead of the visit of President Hu Jintao to attract world attention on Tibet independence.
The Dalai Lama gestures as he leaves Leelavati Hospital in Mumbai on Monday. The Dalai Lama was discharged from the hospital four days after he was admitted with abdominal discomfort.
Defying Chinese protest, United States President Barack Obama on Saturday met Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the White House and shared "genuine concerns" about human rights in Tibet. The meeting lasted for 44 minutes, White House officials said.
'If, as appears to be the case, India is on way to 'mending fences' with China, and China is equally desirous to 'reset' the relationship, this could be a self-reflexive moment in India's positioning vis-a-vis not just the Dalai Lama, but also the Tibetan issue and China as a whole,' points out China expert Alka Acharya.
The 81-year-old Dalai Lama inaugurated an international seminar on Buddhism on March 17 in Rajgir in Bihar's Nalanda district, about 100 km from the capital Patna.
The Dalai Lama is a huge charmer, knowing how to say things that will please an audience in his gentle avuncular manner.
The Dalai Lama during an interview to prominent comedian John Oliver said that Chinese hardliners have parts of their brains missing.
China on Saturday summoned the United States Charge d'Affaires in Beijing and lodged a strong diplomatic protest over the meeting between President Barack Obama and Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.
"India despite problems, has had religious harmony there for 2,000 years," he said.
"At present on paper there is autonomy but in reality every key position is occupied by Chinese who have no idea of past events, of Tibetan culture or Tibetan habits or mentality," he said.
The Chinese envoy recommends an early harvest on the border issue while maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, reports Ajai Shukla.
In a fresh attack on Dalai Lama, a mouthpiece of the Chinese government criticised his call for greater autonomy for Tibet and questioned whether he was really qualified to speak for six million Tibetans on Sunday.
The storm over snubbing of Dalai Lama, observers feel, is likely to adversely affect the politicians standing in the election this year as it is being seen as another act of bowing down to the Chinese agenda.
Extolling Mahatma Gandhi's message of harmony, peace and brotherhood, the Dalai Lama has urged followers of all religions to show tolerance, understanding and respect for all faiths and follow the path of non-violence.
Referring to allegations that it was "silly for China" not to have names for various counties and inventing them for six places in Arunachal Pradesh, an op-ed article in the state-run Global Times said "these comments are absurd".
China, which is building numerous villages in Tibet close to its borders with India and Bhutan, has held several celebratory events to mark its takeover of Tibet in the new border villages with a mix of border troops and the local population, the official media in Beijing reported.
Future of millions of Tibetans around the world will depend on who takes his place as the spiritual leader, says Nitin Pai
China has opposed the planned visit of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh and voiced 'strong concern' over the November trip. "China expresses strong concern about this information. The visit further reveals the Dalai clique's anti-China and separatist essence," the Washington Post reported. "China's stance on the so-called Arunachal Pradesh is consistent. We firmly oppose Dalai visiting the so-called Arunachal Pradesh," said a spokeswoman.
China on Tuesday took strong exception to British Prime Minister David Cameron's meeting with the Dalai Lama and lodged diplomatic protests accusing the United Kingdom of interfering in its internal affairs by playing up the Tibet issue.
A day after attacking the Dalai Lama for backing Japan in its maritime territorial dispute, China on Tuesday lashed out at Tokyo for its 'laissez-faire' attitude on the "separatist activities" of the Tibetan spiritual leader along with Japanese right-wing forces to harm bilateral strategic ties.
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