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8 Nov : Arriving at Tawang to a rousing reception, the Dalai Lama on Monday slammed China for objecting to his visit to Arunachal Pradesh and expressed surprise over its claims to the border town of Tawang.
The 74-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, who is visiting Arunachal Pradesh after a gap of six years, said there was no point in holding talks with China on the Tibet issue unless Beijing spells out its policy on it.
“It is quite usual for China to step up campaigning against me wherever I go,” the Dalai Lama told reporters after opening a museum at the 400-year-old Tawang Monastery.
China has strongly objected to the Dalai Lama’s visit as it lays claim to the sensitive border state. He recalled his visit to Tawang 50 years ago while fleeing across the Himalayas after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet.
The Dalai Lama said the People’s Liberation Army of China had occupied Tawang and nearly reached Bom Dila during the Sino-India war in 1962.
“But the then Chinese Government declared a unilateral ceasefire and withdrew (its forces). Now the Chinese have got different views. This is something which I really don’t know.
I am little bit surprised,” he said in an apparent reference to Chinese claims over Tawang.The spiritual leader, who flew to Tawang from Guwahati on Sunday morning, was welcomed by cheering Tibetans as he drove along the 10-km stretch from the helipad to the Tawang Monastery, accompanied by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Kandu.
Nestled in the snow-capped mountains, Tawang, located at a height of 11,400 feet, wore a festive look with colourful posters of the Dalai Lama and fluttering Indian and Tibetan flags with buildings along the VIP route given a facelift.
The Dalai Lama dismissed Chinese accusation that he was wanting to split that country by creating an independent Tibet.”It is totally baseless on the part of the Chinese Communist Government to say that I am encouraging a separatist movement. My visit to Tawang is non-political and aimed at promoting universal brotherhood and nothing else,” he said.
On his visit to Tawang, he said he was getting “emotional” as he had crossed this town in 1959 while fleeing from Tibet.
“I get emotional. When I escaped I had mental stress and anxiety. I had a feeling of hopelessness. But the moment I saw (Krishna) Menon and other MEA officials on the border then I had a feeling of reunion and safe,” the Dalai Lama said.
“So, now I am very happy to be here. My main aim of the visit is promotion of human values wherever I go. Just now I returned from Japan where I explained that the ultimate source of happiness of life is within ourselves,” he said.
To a question on Tibet issue, the Dalai Lama said China should spell out its Tibetan policy.”Unless they make clear their policy on Tibet there is no point in talking to them. No point in going back to the negotiating table unless they take care of the well-being of 6 million Tibetan people,” he said.
Braving the winter chill, thousands of Tibetans and locals lined up along the roads leading to the Tawang Monastery and greeted the Dalai Lama who arrived on a four-day visit.