Himalayan Times (1950)

October 13, 1950

liUiualamut Ainu's

Seven

or course, Pakistan's interest in
Kashmir-and her economic and political
pressure on the north-eastern regions of
India adjoining Kasf Pakistan have
created fresh problems, immense in scale,
in the defence and security of the Indian
subcontinent in the context of fast
approaching Soviet influence from across
the Himalaya and the Karakormn moun-
tain harriers in tile north. The 1948
troubles in Kashmir disturbed all. order
and peaceful conditions in the (political
minority of Ladakh whoso strategic im-
portance in the maintainenceof the integrity
ot the frontier, both defined as well as
undefined, between China, India, Tibet
ami the I*. S. S. R. can never be
exaggerated That much if nothing else
the maker' of the Pamir boundaries
could fores « even in the year 188o A. I)
1'resent close relations between India
ami Ladak arose out of cultural affinity
between them in titc early centuries of
the spread of the Indian cultural influ-
ence thei,' especially the spread of the
Doctrine of tic Buddha. For all her
racial ami social connections with Tibet,
l.adak's political destiny has long been
east with that of India. This link has'
become all the more strong'after the
Haiti raid on Ladak.

The tribal areas, "the Mongolian
fringe'' in India, extending from Burma
in the extreme east to Bhutan and'Sadiya
in tin north adjacent to the Sino-Tibetan
border, were the main concern of the
Kast India Company's government, in
this country till 1840 A. 1). in the
making of the Himalayan frontier of
India. These quiet frontier tracts gained
tremendous international importance du-
ring tic World War II when the Japanese
invader appeared on the Naga land
This tribal belt senilis to be acquiring
the old strategic significance again in
view of the political upheavals now taking
place in tic Par East or in the making

in Tibet near at home. The British
government was never called upon to
spend miTeh on the maintainenoe of this
Mongolian frontier, and India may have
to either if these simple tribal people
get a fair deal from their new radian
masters, if their tribal culture and customs
find proper appreciation in a national
India, tlnly foresight anil imagination
can determine the course of such a tricky
problem. India needs the? friendship and
goodwill of these frontier people as
much they need hers. But they must
be given some education necessary for
a pcop'T look-after of a frontier. Prom
as early as IS40, India has had a
nourishing trade iiiteiyourse .»ith these
remote regions This relationship is bound
to increase all the more | when Assam's
programme of • regular communications is
put through. India may then become
able to make a solid contribution to
peace and stability in the neighbouring
countries of Asia.

It is in this context that the
Government of India has accepted tic
political integrity of Bhutan and Sikkim
whbh had been working under standstill
agreements since 1947. Bhutan and
Sikkim, culturally and ethnological^
Tibetan lands, have been very friendly
neighbours of India and hive worked
together, under treaty obligations though
never Within the orbit of parampuntev,
as a unique buffer bet-wet •n India and
Tibet. The large strip of the Duars,
which pnee proved the real bone of
contention between Bhutan and the
British India, has-yielded to India mag-
nificient forests and rich tea estates.

The first British action against
Bhutan was the annexation to Assam
in the lSIO's of a large part of these
passes leading to the Bhutan Himalaya.
Tuis was a punitive measure against
the Bhutias' repeated acts of aggression
[Conlinved o" I"".!' N)

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