Speaking at the eighth Buddha Mahotsava celebration in Tawang last Sunday, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to allay the fears of India being soft on Chinese claims over Arunachal Pradesh, especially Tawang that is the birth place of the sixth Dalai Lama. Mr Mukherjee asserted that ‘‘the question of parting company of Arunachal or any of its part does not arise’’ and that the State ‘‘has a special place in our heart’’.

Amidst loud applause from thousands of people who had gathered on the occasion, he said one of the parameters that India has been insisting on sorting out the boundary issue with China is that no settled population can be exchanged. The minister also emphasized that the story of the Buddha’s life and teachings exuded a high ethical and humanitarian ideal, and praised the people of Tawang for their intrinsic Buddhist ideology and hospitable nature. Mr Mukherjee said this is a lesson that nothing can be achieved through violence.

Terming terrorism as the ‘‘biggest threat’’ to peace in the post-Cold War era, he advocated the teachings of the Buddha to jettison violence of all sorts.

On the other hand, the people and public leaders of Tawang submitted a memorandum to the External Affairs Minister suggesting the Centre to develop a road through Bhutan to Tawang which would not only shorten the distance between Guwahati and Tawang, but also help both the countries in establishing business. ‘‘Establishment of road connectivity via Bhutan is one of the long-felt demands of the people of this area which will help not only to develop trade and commerce, tourism and cultural exchange between the two sides, but would also help facilitate an alternative road,’’ the memorandum said, pointing to the difficulties faced by the people of Tawang, tourists as well as traders while communicating from Asom via Sela Pass, a road that is frequently disrupted due to heavy snowfall during winter and landslide during summer.

The memorandum also requested the Centre for early sanction of the proposed Advanced Landing Ground, apart from construction of tunnels at Sela, Bomdila and Neciphu to shorten the distance between Bhalukpong and Tawang.

The Centre should wake up and act fast. What can be a greater tourism tragedy than the fact that despite Tawang being one of the most scenic spots in the country with vast potential for tourism, it did not have any ATM facility until last Monday when the State Bank of India (SBI) opened its first — and the town’s first — ATM counter? Should not have this been done long ago?

Arunachal Pradesh Governor General (retd) JJ Singh has urged the people of Tawang to establish small tourist lodges to facilitate accommodation for travellers, and asked the SBI to assist them in their venture — given that ‘‘the people of Tawang are hard-working and there should not be any doubt of non-repayment of loans’’.

While it remains to be seen how the SBI would embark upon that course, what is more important is how the Centre would come to the aid of the Arunachal Pradesh government in developing an excellent tourism infrastructure in the picturesque township — at par with other hill stations in the country. And it is China’s marvellous infrastructure build-up on its side of the border that ought to inform the rediscovery of Tawang and its development as it truly deserves.

The Sentinel, Guwahati, 12 Nov 2008
http://www.sentinelassam.com/

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081112/jsp/nation/story_10099012.jsp

New Delhi, Nov. 11: Beijing today rejected Delhi’s position that Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India, saying China had never recognised the “illegal” McMahon Line that functions as the eastern border between the two countries.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang accused Delhi of ignoring “historical facts” as he “deeply regretted” external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee’s comment on Sunday that Arunachal was an integral part of India and that China was “aware” of it.

“China and India have never officially settled demarcation of borders,” PTI quoted Qin as saying at a regular bi-weekly news briefing in Beijing. “The current Chinese government, as well as previous ones, has never recognised the illegal McMahon Line…. India knows this.”

Arunachal CM invites Dalai Lama to Tawang

April 11, 2008 00:34 IST
In what could raise the hackles of China, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama [Images] has been invited to inaugurate a hospital at Tawang.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who is a Buddhist hailing from Tawang, told PTI that construction of the Rs 3.45-crore hospital is complete and the Dalai was invited to inaugurate the hospital. He said that the Dalai Lama had been invited before the Tibet agitation started.

However, the chief minister said that he was afraid the External Affairs Ministry may not give permission to the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang.

The ruling Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party differ on whether the Dalai Lama should be allowed to travel to Arunachal Pradesh, after the unrest in Tibet [Images].

BJP Lok Sabha member from Arunachal (West) Kiren Rijiju, also a Buddhist, said the Dalai Lama is basically a spiritual leader and the Indian government should not impose any ban on his entry in Tawang for inaugurating a hospital.

The importance of the Dalai Lama’s possible visit to Tawang could be assessed from the fact that the spiritual leader, after the failed uprising against the Chinese, had taken the Tawang route to flee to India in 1959.

Secondly, in the 1962 war, the Chinese army had captured Tawang and came up to Bomdila. The Red Army later withdrew.

However, Rijiju, who is the coordinator of the All Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, agrees with the chief minister’s stand that Buddhist communities should not be allowed to come out on the streets of Tawang or any other part of the border state, in support of Tibetans.

Arunachal Pradesh is passing through a difficult period and none should be allowed to aggravate the situation, he said.

Khandu said that he has advised the local people to pray for the Tibetans inside the 400-year old monastery, the second largest in Asia after Lhasa, housing 500 monks.

The BJP MP said that people in other parts of the country should, however, openly agitate in support of the Tibetans as India was directly affected by the influx of Tibetans. He is planning to lead the protests by Tibetans when the Olympic torch arrives in New Delhi on April 17.

China has been claiming Arunachal Pradesh, including Tawang, the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, as its territory but India rejected the claim and asserted that the state was an integral part of its territory.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/apr/11tibetrow.htm?zcc=rl

Arunachal ‘risky’ for pro-Tibetan rallies
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/apr/15tibetrow2.htm

Very interesting read.

North East of what?
Maloy Krishna Dhar
http://sify.com/news/columns/fullstory.php?id=14639146

…North East of what? Is it North East of geophysical India, of the Indian mindset, or is it something outside India?

…In this historic village was born a Hindu Naga lady, Rani Gaidinlieu to her Rongmei (a tribe) parents. She had revolted against proselytizing activities and territorial incursion of the British at the age of 13, was imprisoned in 1932 and finally freed in 1947.

She was honoured with a Padma Award in 1993, after plenty of haggling with the �inner India� masters in Delhi. Her tribe is now mostly converted to Christianity, though a few hundred Rongmei and Zelaing Nagas still stick to Hindu practices.

Most Hindu organisations were discouraged by Delhi and Kohima from venturing into the area. The minorities had the rights to be converted to Christianity, but had no access to mainland Hindu organisations to preserve their original religion and culture.

…The North East of India is not only in the northeast of India�s geophysical and geopolitical map. It is, in fact, in the remotest corner of East by North East of our national consciousness. Most us take it for granted that it exists, because the printed map says so.

In reality, it does not exist in our map of mind.

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A brief about Nagaland
http://nagaland.nic.in/

Liitle about Nagaland religion:

Christianity is the predominant religion of Nagaland. The census of 2001 recorded the state’s Christian population at 1,790,349 (90.02% of the state’s population), making it one of the three Christian-majority states in India, and the only state where Christians form 90% of the population. The state has a very high church attendance rate in both urban and rural areas. The largest of Asia’s churches dominate the skylines of Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung. Among Christians, Baptists are the predominant group constituting more than 75% of the state’s population.

Nagaland is known as “The most populated Baptist state in the world”. The state’s population is 1.988 million, out of which 90.02% are Christians

How to recover and liberate our fellow brothers and sisters?

I feel, only a ISKCON (Krishna Consciousness Movement) type organization can carry out this task. For this, govts (at centre) and hindu organzations have to provide supports. Western ISKCON followers and Asom/Manipur Vaisnavaite movements, supported by Hindu organizations of India can do wonderful job. ISKCON has spread to far off places in Russia, South America, Africa where there was no original Hindu population.

ISKCON worldwide
http://www.iskcon.com/worldwide/centres/index.html

Bharat
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