DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22461#0220
Pour
'giiumlauan $imu
May 9, 1954
Kalimpong, May 9, 1954
AGREEMENT BETWEEN INDIA AND
CHINA ON TIBET
Only the future can say with any degree
of certainty whether the new Indo-Chinese treaty
will prove a source of strength or weakness to-
India's security and integrity. There are in it
a . few features which are not entirely hopeful.
At least 0:ic of those would or might cause a
mild mental disturbance, if not shock, to. those
who could boast of a lingering memory for his-
torical facts. It is being claimed in New Delhi
that the agreement on trade and intercourse bet-
ween Tibet and India has put the final seal of
the de facto and de jure position of the Central
People's Republic of China in relation to Tibet.
Were that so it would indeed be unfortunate.
The Chinese occupation of Tibet a little over
two years ago was like a twin brother of Pearl
Harbour. Unlike America which was directly
interested in the 'Pearl Harbour tragedy, this
country's interest in Tibet had been actuated by
no selfish motive; it had been rigidly confined
to one of an idealistic advocacy of Tibet's rights
and privileges, as an independent entity. To all
intents and purposes, China, after misleading
India's Prime Minister, who was hopeful -even a
week after the occupation that China would not
be guilty of any siuh tragic error, t broke her
sweet promises .to this country. . ,
The transfer to China of the telegraph and
telephone services now operated by India as legal
and constitutional successor to Britain in the area
has been hailed as a gesture of goodwill. Asa
gesture it is certainly admirable. But it takes two to
appreciate a generous gesture. Possibly China has
changed although there is no evidence to warrant this
-hopeful conclusion- 'I he intrigues in Nopal have been
traced to Chinese influence. It has been suggested
farther that in assessing the implications of the
agreement certain basic considerations had to be
taken, into account such as fir iifstance, the his-
torical relations between China and Tibet and
India's relationship with the latter. That is cer-
tainly the proper approach. But there appears
to- he a slight error in. the reading that the
Chinese claim, to suzerainty over Tibet had never
been questioned. That should imply that, if it
could be proved that tho people of Indo-China
were not questioning the suzerainty of Franco
but were only demanding some constitutional re-
forms, India's heroic advocacy of the cause of
Indo-China would have no leg to stand upon.
But that indeed is not so. In 1911 the
Chinese revolution virtually liquidated all Chinese
influence in Tibet. It is a matter of recorded
history that the Tibetans succeeded in driving
the Chinese out cf Lhasa and in recapturing
most parts of the country. Six years later, China
attacked again but was severely beaten back, the
Tibetans pushing them back more or less to the
positions which had been held since 1720. India's
present recognition of China's suzerainty might
bo justified by diplomatic rules of the game but
it would amount to a steep fall from her moral
heights. There is no guarantee that China would
not abuse this generosity by taking advantage of
the other clauses of the agreement and encoura-
ging communist propaganda in India. Were sho
■not tied irrevocably to Moscow's apron strings,
China might be depended upon to pay homage
to her ancient ties with India. But in the pre-
sent circumstance, is she dependable ? There can
be no doubt that Parliament would ratify the
agreement with all its implications. But that
would not imply that two plus two could yield
/anything' but four; India has now virtually
tadmitted China's right to r« impose her shattered
overlordship. The implication is noi Very happy.
Is it necessary to press the point ?
DEWAND FOR GORAKHASTHAN
( Continued from page 9 )
In conclusion, it is heartening to leant that
Dr. B. C. Roy, the Chief Minister and Sri Atulya
Chose the W. Bengal Congress Chief are arriving
here by tho middle of this month to study the
situation personally. As Summer has already- en-
veloped Calcutta and soothing season is already
in its height in Barjeeling we welcome both these
Chiefs when the mountains are still verdant and
pleasing,
"If Dr. Roy and Sri Ghose are coming to study
the situation sincerely, I would venture to say
that the true feelings of the mass do not repose
in the hearts of any Pandit, Padre, Moulvi or
Rabbi but they lie with those men. those com-
munities whose names are ncVVr seen in the
headlines of news papers nor heard of from any
Pandit, Padre or Rabid-.—Yours e*.c. Deo Prakash
Rai,» Secretary, Darjccliug, District Committee, All
India Gorkha League.
'giiumlauan $imu
May 9, 1954
Kalimpong, May 9, 1954
AGREEMENT BETWEEN INDIA AND
CHINA ON TIBET
Only the future can say with any degree
of certainty whether the new Indo-Chinese treaty
will prove a source of strength or weakness to-
India's security and integrity. There are in it
a . few features which are not entirely hopeful.
At least 0:ic of those would or might cause a
mild mental disturbance, if not shock, to. those
who could boast of a lingering memory for his-
torical facts. It is being claimed in New Delhi
that the agreement on trade and intercourse bet-
ween Tibet and India has put the final seal of
the de facto and de jure position of the Central
People's Republic of China in relation to Tibet.
Were that so it would indeed be unfortunate.
The Chinese occupation of Tibet a little over
two years ago was like a twin brother of Pearl
Harbour. Unlike America which was directly
interested in the 'Pearl Harbour tragedy, this
country's interest in Tibet had been actuated by
no selfish motive; it had been rigidly confined
to one of an idealistic advocacy of Tibet's rights
and privileges, as an independent entity. To all
intents and purposes, China, after misleading
India's Prime Minister, who was hopeful -even a
week after the occupation that China would not
be guilty of any siuh tragic error, t broke her
sweet promises .to this country. . ,
The transfer to China of the telegraph and
telephone services now operated by India as legal
and constitutional successor to Britain in the area
has been hailed as a gesture of goodwill. Asa
gesture it is certainly admirable. But it takes two to
appreciate a generous gesture. Possibly China has
changed although there is no evidence to warrant this
-hopeful conclusion- 'I he intrigues in Nopal have been
traced to Chinese influence. It has been suggested
farther that in assessing the implications of the
agreement certain basic considerations had to be
taken, into account such as fir iifstance, the his-
torical relations between China and Tibet and
India's relationship with the latter. That is cer-
tainly the proper approach. But there appears
to- he a slight error in. the reading that the
Chinese claim, to suzerainty over Tibet had never
been questioned. That should imply that, if it
could be proved that tho people of Indo-China
were not questioning the suzerainty of Franco
but were only demanding some constitutional re-
forms, India's heroic advocacy of the cause of
Indo-China would have no leg to stand upon.
But that indeed is not so. In 1911 the
Chinese revolution virtually liquidated all Chinese
influence in Tibet. It is a matter of recorded
history that the Tibetans succeeded in driving
the Chinese out cf Lhasa and in recapturing
most parts of the country. Six years later, China
attacked again but was severely beaten back, the
Tibetans pushing them back more or less to the
positions which had been held since 1720. India's
present recognition of China's suzerainty might
bo justified by diplomatic rules of the game but
it would amount to a steep fall from her moral
heights. There is no guarantee that China would
not abuse this generosity by taking advantage of
the other clauses of the agreement and encoura-
ging communist propaganda in India. Were sho
■not tied irrevocably to Moscow's apron strings,
China might be depended upon to pay homage
to her ancient ties with India. But in the pre-
sent circumstance, is she dependable ? There can
be no doubt that Parliament would ratify the
agreement with all its implications. But that
would not imply that two plus two could yield
/anything' but four; India has now virtually
tadmitted China's right to r« impose her shattered
overlordship. The implication is noi Very happy.
Is it necessary to press the point ?
DEWAND FOR GORAKHASTHAN
( Continued from page 9 )
In conclusion, it is heartening to leant that
Dr. B. C. Roy, the Chief Minister and Sri Atulya
Chose the W. Bengal Congress Chief are arriving
here by tho middle of this month to study the
situation personally. As Summer has already- en-
veloped Calcutta and soothing season is already
in its height in Barjeeling we welcome both these
Chiefs when the mountains are still verdant and
pleasing,
"If Dr. Roy and Sri Ghose are coming to study
the situation sincerely, I would venture to say
that the true feelings of the mass do not repose
in the hearts of any Pandit, Padre, Moulvi or
Rabbi but they lie with those men. those com-
munities whose names are ncVVr seen in the
headlines of news papers nor heard of from any
Pandit, Padre or Rabid-.—Yours e*.c. Deo Prakash
Rai,» Secretary, Darjccliug, District Committee, All
India Gorkha League.