By Vijyender Sharma
Dharmshala-----Indian Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had a meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala. It was Rao's maiden visit to Dharamshala--a picturesque hill station in Himachal Pradesh-- after she became Foreign Secretary last year.
This meeting comes just a week after national security adviser Shivshankar Menon concluded his visit to China as PM’s special envoy.Menon had met Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and influential state councillor Dai Bingguo, who is also the designated Chinese representative to discuss Sino-India border issue.

Issues relating to the activities of Tibetan exiles living in India and security for the Dalai Lama are understood to have figured in the meeting. The Dalai has been living in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959.



Rao’s meeting with the Dalai Lama comes amid China’s nuclear deal with Pakistan. There are other areas of differences between the two countries, which fought a war over their border dispute in 1962.

Dalai Lama’s spokesperson Tenzin Taklha said “the meeting took place at the Nobel Laureate’s mansion in Mcleodganj, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile”. ‘At the closed-door meeting, high-ranking officials of the government-in-exile including its prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche participated,’ he added .However, he refused to provide details of the meeting but Tibetan sources said the two discussed issues of mutual interest.

As per the sources, The meeting was about an hour and that Rao, a former ambassador to China, was accompanied by Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary (East Asia) in the external affairs ministry, Government of India.
Rao flew into Dharamsala from Kangra airport and headed straight to the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, which is not recognised by any country. Her flight was late by an hour.

At the airport, Rao refused to take questions from media persons.
India follows one-China policy and recognizes Tibet as a part of China.The Dalai Lama, who believes in the ‘middle-path’ policy that demands greater autonomy for the Tibetans, is viewed by the Chinese as a ‘traitor’ who is bent on splitting Tibet from China.
Over six million Tibetans live in Tibet.More than one lakh Tibetan exiles live in 19 different settlements across India.China has been objecting to the activities of the Tibetan exiles and India had assured its neighbour that it will not allow its soil to be used for anti-China activity.China has in the past also accused the Dalai of seeking to stir up tensions between New Delhi and Beijing.

Posted by BIJENDER SHARMA on 10:18 PM. Filed under breakingnews, business, culture, education, feature, finance, gallery, technology, travel . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0