Hush! Tibet Government in Exile Plays Footsie With China

NEW DELHI:Is the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama cosying up to China, contrary to the public perception? A recent communication reviewed by The Sunday Standard shows that his aides are planning to reach out to the Chinese, which could have seismic effects on India’s interests in the region. At the centre of the controversy is a shadowy power struggle between the two sects—the Geluks and Drukpas—over control of the powerful monasteries in Ladakh.

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“We resolved to set up a working committee to implement this project and work closely with Tempa Tsering La from bureau office in Delhi to coordinate with the Chinese Embassy,” it said.

The communication is from Jangchup Choeden, who is the Chairman of Gelugpa Monastic Disciplinary Council and a close aide of the Dalai Lama. Tempa Tsering, a prominent representative of the Dalai Lama in Delhi and a senior member of the Tibetan Government in Exile, is part of a committee to coordinate with the Chinese embassy over a project involving Tibet’s supreme spiritual leader. According to sources, the intended rapprochement with China, if it happens, is meant to tone down the differences between the Dalai Lama and the dragon, and ensure the smooth succession of Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa. His appointment was the only public point of agreement between the Dalai Lama and China. So what is the ‘project’ Tempa Tsering mentions and who all are part of it? The communication reveals that he has managed to convene a meeting led by important Tibetan spiritual leaders close to the Dalai Lama for his health, longevity and success of his mission, not clarified by Jangchup.

India’s Worries

■ Dominance of monasteries may go  to pro-China sects

■ Proxy control by China of Ladakh

■ Loss of face in the perception game for supporting Tibet