It has always been assumed by most that India has been playing the so-called ‘Tibet card’ against China, by using the presence of Tibetan refugees in their country to provoke the Chinese leadership. Recently however, a new perspective has been presented by none other than Phunchok Stobdan, a former Indian ambassador who previously authored critical pieces of the Tibetan leadership, formally known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA, headquartered in Dharamsala, North India).
Stobdan’s conclusions bear remembering and repeating, because his are not those of the average man or woman on the street. Highly educated, Stobdan is an accomplished academician, a career diplomat and a former Indian ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. It is this distinguished gentleman’s analysis that there was never a ‘Tibet card’ to begin with, since Tibet relinquished its independence in 1951. He argues that it left India with little room for political maneuvering, since India herself accepted Tibet as an inherent part of China just a few years later in 1954. That is from a historical basis — in more modern times, Stobdan argues there is no ‘Tibet card’ because the Dalai Lama himself does not want independence. Hence using the Tibetans to provoke the Chinese leadership is a foolhardy exercise that should be relegated to its origins in the Cold War era. The ‘Tibet card’, if it even exists, will not accomplish anything but greater suspicion and mutual distrust between China and India, and only lead to the continued deterioration of the Sino-Indian relationship.
He even highlights examples in recent history to demonstrate his point, including the deterioration of bilateral relations after the Doklam standoff, the Dalai Lama’s Tawang visit and the unfurling of the Tibetan flag at Pangong Lake. Stobdan’s points are not without merit since everyone witnessed the subsequent improvement of relations after Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale’s directive for all Indian officials to avoid events related to the CTA’s “Thank You India” campaign.
In Stobdan’s view, the ‘Tibet card’ was in fact played at the “behest of Western powers”, undoubtedly implying that it is time for India to prioritize the welfare of her 1.2 billion citizens and keep it in her own hands, instead of subjecting herself to external influences.
For Stobdan, the approach for India is very simple – India and Indians first. Will the Tibetan leadership ever be able to recover from the recent downturn in domestic and international support for their so-called Tibetan cause? If politicians like Stobdan have anything to say about it, the answer will be most definitely and categorically ‘no’.
The Modi Government Must Realise the Folly of India Playing the ‘Tibet Card’
Click to enlarge. (Source: https://thewire.in/diplomacy/modi-government-folly-of-india-playing-the-tibet-card)
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