A motley crowd of Tibetan protestors reaching Hyderabad House in the heart of Delhi where President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were closeted in discussions may have been dismissed as a minor security breach by the Government, but surely it was more than that. What is open to question is the manner in which the protestors managed to break the tight police barricade even as strict security around the Chinese president’s visit inconvenienced thousands of motorists throughout the day.
The fact that protestors again managed to disrupt security and march from Dhaula Kuan to the hotel where the president was staying before 20 of them were arrested highlights the fact that the security breach was no coincidence.
And this is not the first time this has happened. It is a way Indian authorities show that while India is willing to do “business” with China, it cannot ignore the rights of over 90,000 Tibetans living in India. India is home to the Dalai Lama, since he fled from Tibet in 1959.
Nor can India ignore the skirmishes taking place on its border with China — even before, during and after the recent visit. They only highlight the volatile situation.
At another, and perhaps more significant level, is the question of India-China relations. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that when China raised the issue of Tibet and Taiwan, India appreciated its sensitivities and said that India’s approach is to follow a policy of “one China”; India in turn expects China to appreciate its claim to being one India, and Arunachal Pradesh is part of it.
Now, who will blink first? India or China? Till that happens, perhaps the Indian Government needs to take a tougher stand and not try to brush off as “insignificant”, security breaches when a Chinese president comes visiting. This explanation does not fool anyone.
Senior Deputy Editor