MINI WRY OF Rxrm!XL A ~ F AIRS
X , P , DIVICION
PRSSS RGLATIOF?",XTIOM
'SITUATION I N T I B i n
Mew Delhi, Vaisakha 7, 1881,
April 27, 1959,
S h r i Jawaharlal Nehru nade t h e following statdraent in t h e
LO^ Sabha tooday on t h e s i t u a t i o n i n Tibet:
I have made s e v e r a l s t a t e n e n t s i n t h e House i n rezard t o
t h e developments i n T i b e t , The l a s t statement was made on A p r i l 3,
i n which I i n f ~ r m e dt h e House t h a t t h e D a l a i Lana had e n t e r 4 ' t h e
t e r r i t o r y of t h e Indian Union with a l a r g e entourage, I should
l i k e t o b r i n g t h i s i n f o m a t i o n uppto-date and t o place such a d d i t i o n a l
,
f a c t s a s we have before t h e Iiouse,
A few days ago, t h e D a l a i Laix? and h i s p r t y reached Nussoorto,
where Governnent had rnadc s r r a n g e ~ i ~ e nft os r t h e i r s t a y , I have had
occasion t o v i s i t IClussooric! s i n c e then and have had a long t a l k
with t h e D a l a i L a m .
'
In t h e c o u r s e of t h e l a s t few days, r e p o r t s have reached
u s t h a t c o n s i d e r a b l e nufiibers of T l b o t a n s , numbering' some thousands,
have r e c e n t l y croseed i n t o th2'Kaineng F r o n t i e r D i v i s i o n of t h e
North-East F r o n t i e r Agency and sos~ehundredo have a l s o entored
t h e t e r r i t o r y of Bhutac, They so!.i,~ht asylum,' and we have agreed t o
t h i s , Such of thc~ite.s c a r r i c d arr2.r; .were . d f s a r c d , We do not know
t h e e x a c t number ye:,
Ter;lymnry arrangements a r c being r.nde i n
a camp f o r ' t h e i r i~~ai;?tcr?r;ncc
ur.+,il. they (7a.n ha dispersed in
accordance w i t h t h e i l w i s l l c o and -tino l ~ c c c . s s i . t i ~govcrnfne
~s
such
cases, W
e could not 1c:i~e t h e s e refugee$ to, t h c i r own ~ ? s o u r c e s ,
Apart f m m t h e humanitarian concic!emtion.s involvc~d, t h c r o was *
a l s o t h e law and ordcr proble~z'to be considered, W e arc' ~ ; m t o f u l
t o t h e Governnent of Assar.1 f o r t h c i r h e l p al.ld c 0 o y x m t i o n i n t h i s
matter,
So f a r a s thc.Da.lai Esiila and h i s &rty are conci?med, vc!
had. t o take adequate measu::Ls
on grounds of s c c u r i t y and a l s o t u
p r o t e c t t h e n f rom l a r g e nunberr: of n e w s p a p r correspondento, hot11
. Indian and f o r e i g n , who, i n t h c i r a n x i e t y t o o b t a i n f irat-hand
i n f o r n a t i o n i n regard t o a m a t t e r of \vorld irnportance, w r e l i k o l y
t o h a r a s s and al-t
o v e k r n , t , h e D a l d Lana and. h i s pnrty, w.&
1
.
(Prime I i j - n i s t e r ' s statement i n Ilok Ssbha on T i b e t c o n t d , 1
w e meze anxious t o give g r o t e c t i o n t o the 3 a l a f t a m and h i s &rty,
ce T 5 - 2 ~sgreeab1.c t o G ~ V ~ Tthesa
~ G
~ e w s ~ ~ c l s2it?.bic
r o n
opF~rtuhties
t o m a him, I had I'RCC:'.T~C~ an appzzl Zrom r e s r l y 75 m p r e s e n t z t i v e s
0 2 QCl'JS al;e3ci,?s and c e w s p z p r s fmm T e z p r req1rsstii1,r R e t o give
f,?xz~G ~ C opprt'ln:.tS.es,
~ A
A senior of f l c c r of t h e External A f f a i r s
HL2is.tk-y waz: %herefore, d e p t e d t o p ~ o c e e dt o Tt?0,$71r i n advance
to $c%S_odtli t h e press reyresetltzt:vc?s ar.d l?;lotog?a$lors who had
annc~.!;led i n t h a t nn&3,1 tcvn of Ansr.:t,
This o f f i c e r rizado t h c
nm:~33 3 a . y ~a d n i n i ~ t i e ; t j ; i ~ arianga~3n:s
-e
t o r e s t , a o .Tcr ,s possible,
tkc. c.isi~i=s
of t h e neursy-Fn"2 t o sr?e "ih Z31ai Lzrz: and t a gkatograph.
h i n , Foen sfter cnterknl: I n d i a , ths DP-LZI La!,ia i:~tiicatcd h:s :?rf.sh
LO m?.:e a statenczt,
V!e alere l a t e r ir-for1,ied t h ~ t t l i i sstatencrlt
wc.z;ld be r c l e a s a d a t T c z p r , 51r o f f t c ~ i *
c:de arr?.ny;eiilccts f a r the
d i s t r i k u t i o n of a trai?sletir,? of t::e st-aterisnf; t o +,:ir n r , r v s ; p p r
L
cor:-es~or5~3ts,
In view of c e r t a i n i r r 2 s y n s S b 3 e chsrges m d e , I shculd
l l k e t o :sake 5.t c l @ a yt b a t the 32Lai Lzm, wns ents-s*e'ly rcspenzlble
for t k k s s t a t e n c n t a s vie) 2. n s a sr~bcs+cl;b 2 r l ~ l r ; r~tatoocz'; t h ~ t
caa mee by hin f;-9;;: FCurcoorie, 13rr n f " i ? e r s hnlf ?i,-tkirzt o d:, With
\
t:,e d raf tiin:: o r ;;repi'ztPcn of t3.ese 3tzt9:x?rts,
I need not t e l l t h e Bousc t h a t the D a l a i Lam entered India
en%%rclyof h l ol'.ln
~ v o l ? t i o n , A t r.o I:hr.?e E.ld v z r.u:;rr;es+,cdt h a t he
sliccld c3r.e t o IxAla, ;Ve hzd nntcxi!.y gfvcn tho~:;:?~St o tks mssl,
by cf h i s seck$-ng a sy?.un .in i;?(ih 2x2 :shet? s ~ ~ z.ak ! r e p c s " s c r . ~ ~ ,
b'-LA;. '"
vie ~.:,.al-;ly ;fmnJ;l>dSt, Z i s e n t y ~~ 5 t ha l a r g ? p z ~ x - y ia a re!mb*c
cor::=r of cur c w n t r y c r e a t e 5 s p c i a ' l prc,SEr-n~oj: t r ~ r , s r ? . o r t ,o*@ni,
zr:2f-or znd s e c u r " i y , Pc d c p l t e d sn officer to nee? t h e Ca3ai Lam2
and biz i x r t y a t 3ond:la
n d t o e s c o r t them t o ;.P~srsorEo, Th:?
p r t i c u l e r o f f f c e ? vlas se1ectc.d because kcf ha3 scrved a s C o n ~ l l ,
Gcncrcl i n L:lasa and t l e r ~ f o r s172s to ssom a x t ~ n t!.:no7#n t o tho
E?,laE L 2 . r . ~ rid his c ? f l c j s l s , T i l ~selec'c-ksr, ef PT~rsoorlof2r the
.
.
DaT2:i Lar-3's s t a y w2,s net 2 i n s l i s e d t i l l k 6 J sown ia?_?hssv*crc!
a s c i r t a L n s d i n t 3 e a$,ti;e~znd he azr5cd t o it, T'wre was no
desLre cn o u r p;-t to pt a_?y andue r c s t i c i z t i o ~ s~ u ?hi%, b-at in
t h e s w c i a l c i r c r ~ ntances
s
a c r t a i n a r r a r g e r ~ s n t shz-d neccsszrily
to bc czde t n prcTjent 2r.y cilshcrp, I t zhctil3 be rerfi2nhcred that
the v a r i o c a events 911 Tibet, cu;ninatir_g in the Ca:-,?..l L a m ' s
cjopl.,xt~rycfrola L>a.sa aj:d er?try into ' , ~ i i j a had crz!a.+ed ~ Y C : . I E W ~ U S
Int,?rcst ar,,c?g t h e ~ c c ; - % D
of I11diz 2.11@ ?TI t h w
~ o r l c i ) l c ~ S . Ahter
~ r r ~ v s in
] . ??-issooric, steps -:;ere tak,cn t~ pr?vcnt the D ~ l 2 - iL a w
f mt;t e i r , g kar:a-saccl b$ cy~ivclsof people t r y i n g t o see L S E a s 'Xeii
a s c y ns:vapTdrilen, A p r t f mn t!~l-. CP r ~ s t r 5 c t l n j i saSc.ilt =over
plzced on bca, 5s :?as b ~ e r it e l d t h a t h3 ~ r \ dk i s prtv1
me~:t
c a n novc a b m t ITussp0rj.e ascordlgcc t o t h e i r wis!~e:;, It s h o u l d be
rc3~l;l;borc.j.t h n t t h e D z l a i Ls?.ubas ricer-tiy not ~ 2 7 . y b3d a ?-ong
strc.~~i.o~;r;
an3 dar.@?rcus ;ournclg, kt 3 : s 2ls3 hsd 3n:-ro7'ling
oxpc?rimcos which u c s t zffec: tho nomr s s: e w n L i:zidr:ned penbn.
Ee is c n l y j t i s t 24 yezrs cf age,
,
,
These a r e
W - P ~
(PhTCs-,meman t i n Log..
Sabha on Tibet-aontd,)
Thesc a r e seine I;. f a c t s , but bahind these f a c t s li'e
sorious.developr;lents which ;;lay hzve faroroaching.wnsequences.
Tragedy h a s bccn and i s being enacted i n T i b e t , passions have
b ~ e nl e t l o o s e , charges Uzde a i ~ llimguage uszd which cannot b u t
worsen t h e s i t u a t i o n and o u r r e l a t i o i l s with our n o r t h e r n neighbouri
1 arn s u r e t h a t thk House w ill a g r e e with me t h a t i n c o n s i d e r i n g
m a t t e r s of suzh high i ~ p o r t ,w e should e x e s c i s e r e s t r a i n t and
.
wisdom and u s e language which I s r ~ o d 2 r a t eand p r e c i s e , In t h e s e
days of cold war, %here hzs b ~ c na t.-ndcncy t o dsa uxlrestrainrta ;
language anc! o f t e n tc r a k e wi3d c h a r g e s w5 thout any j u s t i f i c a t i o n ;
We have f o r t u n a t e l y kept o u t of t h e c o l d war and I hope t h a t . o n
t h i s , a s cn any o t h e r occasion., we s h z l l n o t use the language of
c o l d war, The r;lattar i s t o o s c r i o u s t o be d e a l t with i n a t r i v i a l
or e x c i t e d way, I would, t h e r e f o r ? , tappeal t o t h e p r e s s and the
p b P i c t o e x e r c i s e r e s t r a i n t i n la3gJage, I r e g r e t t h a t o c c a s h m U y
t h e r e have been l a p s e s f r o n t h i s on o u r s i d e , In p a r t i c u l a r , 1
regret . t h a t grave d i s c o u r t e s y was shown some days ago Do a pictuke
of t h e head of t h e ' ~ h l n e s eS t a t e , Chairnan nrlao ~ s e , t u n ' ~ , T h i s was
done by a small group of i r r e s p o n s i b l e people i n Bombay, I n the
excitement of t h e ,moment, we cannot allow o u r s e l v e s t o be swept
away i n t o wrong c o u r s e s ,
.
I t is n o t f o r me t o make zny s i m i l a r appeal t o t h e l e a d 2 r s ,
t h e p r e s s and t h e p o p l e of China, A 1 1 I can say is t h a t I have been
g r e a t l y d i s t r e s s e d a t t h e t o n e of t h e cor~lnentsand t h e c h a r g e s
made a g a i n s t I n d i a by r e s p o n s i b l e people i n China, They have us&
t h e language of c o l d war I-e.ga.ldless of t r u t h and p r o p r i e t y , T h i s
i s p o u l l a x l y d3s-t:-essing i n a g r e a t n a t i o n with thousands-of years.
of c u l t u r e behind i t , noted f o r i t s r e s t r a i n e d and p o l i t e hehaviour,
The charges m d e a g a i n s t India a r e s o f a n t a s t i c t h a t I f i n d i t d i f f b a f t o d e a l with then. Ther,? i s the charge of our keeping t h e D a l a i
Lam under dul-ess, The Chinese a u Y n o i i t i e s should s u r e l y know
how we function i n t h i s country and what o u r laws and C o n s t i t u t i o n
a r e , Even i f we
s o i n c l i n e d , wc could n o t keep t h e D a l a i
Lana undar some kind of d e t e n t i o n a g a i n s t h i s w i l l , and t h e r e c a n
be no question of o u r vlishin& t o do s o . Yge can g a i n nothing by
it except t h e burden of d i f f - i m l k problens, I n any e v e n t , t h i s
I t i s open t o t h e D a l a i Lama a t
F.eja.r-~sgo&~sared'.
any t h i e , , , .4
-.
,.
(Prime 1 4 i n i s t e r t s statement i n b k Sabha on T i b e t cb'ntcii)
~g
"t
any time t o go back t o T i b c t o r wherever he wants t o .
&d
Panchcn L a m h a s made himself r e s p o n s i b l e s p c i a l l y f & kahe strange
s t a t e m e n t s , I have s t a t e d t h a t we would welconte him t o i i t j ' ~
Tndia and n c o t t h e D a l a i Lana h i o s c l f , Should he choose
.do so,
evc?ry c o u r t e s y w i l l be extended t o him, I have f u r t h e r s a i d t h a t
t h e Chinese Anbassador o r any o t h e r e n i s s a r y of t h e Chinese Governp
meat c a n cone t o India f o r t h i s plrpose and m e t t h e D a l a i Lama,
There i s no b a r r i e r f o r anyonc t o cone p a c e f u l l y t o Xndia, and
whether we a g r e e w i t h him o r n o t , we s h a l l t r e a t him-with courtesy,
due t o a g u e s t ,
I
U
N
m IF1ED ADVENTURE
Another and an even stranger a l l e g a t i o n h a s been l a d e
about "Indian expansionists"-who, f t is a 1leged , a r e inheriters
of t h e B r i t i s h t r a d i t i o n of i ~ i p e r i a l i s nand expansion, I t is
p e r f e c t l y t r u e t h a t B r i t i s h policy nzs one o i expansion i n t o
T i b e t and t h a t t h e y carried t h i s o u t by f o r c e of a r m e a r l y
i n t h i s c e n t u r y , That was, i n o u r o p i n i o n , an u n j u s t i f i e d
and c m e l adventure which brought xmch harm t o t h e T i b e t a n s ,
A s a r e s u l t of t h a t , t h e t h e n B r i t i s h Governnent in Xndia e s t a b l i s h e d
c e r t a i n extra t e r r i t o r i a l r i s h t s i n T i b e t , When I n d i a becane
Independent, we i n h e r i t e d sone.of t h e s e r i g h t s , Being e n t i r e l y
opposed t o m y such e x t r a t e r r i t o r i . a l rights i n a n o t h e r c o u n t r y ,
ws d i d not wish t o r e t a i n t h e n , But i n t h e e a r l y days a f t e r
Indepandence and p r t i t i o n , o u r hands were f u l l , a s t h i s House
w a l l knows, and we had t o f a c e very d i f f i c u l t s i t u a t i o n s in
our own country, We ignored, i f I nay say s o , T i b e t , Not
baing able t o f i n d a s u i t a b l e p r s o n t o a c t a s o u r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e
a t Lhasa, we ~ l l o w e df o r sone t i a e t h e e x i s t i n g B r i t i s h representat i v e t o c o n t i n u e a t Lhasa, L a t e r a n Indian took h i s place.
Soon a f t e r ths Chinese a r n i e s e n t e r e d T f b e t , t h e q u e s t i o n of
t h e s e e x t r a t e r r i t o r i a l r i g h t s was r a i s e d and we r e a d i l y agreed
t o g i v e t h e n up, We would have given t h e n u p anyhow, %hatever
davelo,wents r.~ight have tzken p l a c e i n T i b e t , We withdr~lwo u r
amy d e - t a c m % s from sone p l a c e s i n Ti bet and handed o v e r
Indian p o s t a l and t e l e g r a p h i n s t a l l a t i o n s and r e s t houses,
Ve l a i d down t h e F i v e P r i n c i p l e s of t h e Panchsheel and
w - o u r ~ ' e w i o = ~ h ~ rtph e
~ n~ b~e tt h
region on
.,
,, 5
re,plon on a new f o o t i n g , What we were anxious about
w a s t o p r e s e r v e t h e t r a d i t i o n a l c o n n e c t i o n s between
India and T i b d t i n r e g a r d t o p i u r i c ' t r z f f i b and trade.
Our a c t i o n i n t h i s n a t t e r and whstever we have done
s u b s e q u e n t l y i n r e q a r d t o T i b e t i s ?roof enough of our
p o l i c y and t h a t I n d i a had 29 p o l l t i c , d o r u l t e r i o r f
a n b i t i h n s i n T i b e t , Indeed, even f r m t h e n a r r o w e s t
p r a c t i c a l p o i n t of view, any a t h o r p o l i c y woula have
been wrong anc? f u t i l e . Evcr s i n c o than w? have
endeavoured n o t only t o a c t up t o t h e asreenent wc riado,
b u t t o c u l t i v a t e t h e f r i e n d s h i p of t h e - - m a w .
bnd
.
pwto*
MATTER
OF
REGRET
'
I t i s t h e r e f o r e a a a t t o r o f t h e dedpest r e g r e t
and s u r p r i s e ' t o u s t h a t c h a r g e s should be made which
a r e b o t h u n b e c ~ n i n g and e n i i r e l y v o i d of s u b s t a n c e * We
have conveyed t h i s deep f e e l i n g of r e g r e t t a t h e Chinese
Government, n o r o e s p e c i a l l y a t t h e s p e e c h e s d e l i v e r e d
r e c e n t l y i n t h e c u r r e n t # s e s s i o n of t h e N a t i o n a l PeopleFB
Cpngress i n Peking.
d
I s t a t e d sone ti;!? a ~ ot,nzt o u r broad p o l i c y
was governed by t h r e e f z c t o r s ; (1) t h e ? r e s e r v a t i o n of
t h o s e c u r i t y and integrity of I n d i a ; ( 2 ) o u r d e s i r e t o
m a i n t a i n f r i e n d l y r e l s t i ~ n sw i t h C h i n a ; and ( 3 ) o u r deep
sympathy f o r . t h 6 p c o n l ~of T i b e t .
That p o l i c y we s h a l l
c o n t i n u e t o follow, bccnu.;~ wc! t h i n k t h ~ at c a r r e c t policy
n o t omly f o r t h c p r e s e n t b u t ,vcn ~:lorc:50 f o r t h o f u t u r e .
I t would be a 4ragody ii' thc. cw:, [ f r e z t c o u n t r i v s of Asia,
I n d i a and China, which havs bden p e a c e f u l n e i g h b ~ u r sf o r
p a t , should ddvclop f e d l i n g s of h o s t i l i t y a g a i n s t
each o t h e r . We f o r our p a r t \:ill f o l l o w tkis p o l i c y , b u t
we hope t h a t China also will. 6 3 likewise and t h a t ~ l o t l i i n g
w i l l b e s a i d o r dcne which c ~ d a n z e r st h z f r i e n d l y r e l a t i o n s
of t h e t m c o u n t r i e s which a r c c,:; i n p o r t a ~ tf r o n t h e wider
p o i n t of view of t h e p e a c e of -&ia md t h e world, The F i v e
P r i n c i p l e s have l a i d down, i n t e r a l i a , n u t q a l r e s p e c t f o r
each o t h e r . Such c u t u a l r e s p e c t I:;
tl;rnvcly i m p a i r e d i f
unfoundeclchax7Jes arc nadc! and the language of @t$,d war ucoci.
-
I have already nade i t c l ~ a pr r e v i o u s l y t h a t t h e
charge t h a t Kalimpong was a c e n t r z of t h e T i b e t a n
r e b e l l i o n , i s wholly u n j c s t i f i o J . Bc have a l a r g e n m b e r
of people of Tibetan stock l i v i n g i n L q L i a a s I n d i a n
nationds. W
e have aZsc s m ~ eT i h o t m a i ~ r e isn India, '
A l l of t h e s e deeply r e s p e c t t h e Dalai L m a , Sone of t h e s e
have been exceedingly unhs?py a t d c v e l o p e n t s i n T i b e t ;
sane no doubt have anti-Chinese d n t i n e n t s . \-Ya have nade
. i t c l e a r t o thtm t h a t thcy w i l l n 3 t be p e n i t t e d t o carry
on any subversive a c t i v i k i e s f rm I n d i a and I should like
t o s a y t h a t by and largc? they have z c t e d i n accordance with
t h e d i r e c t i o n s of t h e Gvvermcnt ~f bdidia; I cannot
obviously say t h a t soneone h a s n o t done m e t h i n g s e c r e t l y ,
but fa imagine o r say t h a t a m a i l qroup o f p e r s o n s eftting
i n Eainpong organised a n a j a r u?heaval i n T i b e t s e a s to
o e t o nake a ~
~
a
f
t
o and
a t o ~slur~ o v enr
'
0-8.
The K h a p a r e v o l t st m t e d i n en area of China
.
p r o p e r adjoining a b e t , n o r e t h w l t h r e e y e a r s w o e Is
Ralinpong supposed t o bc r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h n t ? T h i s revolt
g r a d u a l l y spread and no doubt c r e a t e d a powerful iupressfon
on t h e minds of large nmbors of Tibetans, who had kept a w
from the rgvolt.
Fears and apprehensions z!!,out t h e j r f u t u r e
gripped t h e i r m i d s and t h e n a t i o n : U a t x q s w e swayed t h e i r
.feelings,
T h e i r fears nay have been u n j u s t i f i e d , b u t s u r e l y
they cannot be denied. Such f e e l i n c s can o n l y be deal&-with
a d e g u a e by--qenW)?.aatlsds than warfare,
1C(
cu
..
When P r a ~ i c rChau E ~ l q cane
i
hcre two o r t h r e e
y e a r s a p t he was p o d enough t o d i s c u s s T i b e t w i t h n e a t
c o n s i d e r a b l e length. We had a f r a n k and f u l l t z l k . He t o l d
n e . ' t h a t while T i b e t had long been TI p a r t of t h e Cllincse State,
t h e y d i d n o t consider T i b e t zs a 7 m v i n c e of China,@ The
p e q l e were d i f f e r e n t fron t h e p e q l e of China proper, just
as i n o t h e r autoncnous r e g i o n s of t h e Chinese S t a t e t h e p e o p l e
were d i f f e r e n t , ' even though they f o m e d p a r t of t h a t S t a t e ,
Therefore, they considered T i b e t an autonmous region which
woula enjoy autonony.
H e t o l d oe f u r t h ~ rthat i t was absurd
for myone t o in-ine t h a t China w a s zoin;: t o f o r c e C o ~ a u n i a
on T i b e t . Comunisn could not bc enforced i n t h i s way on a
very backward country and they had no wish t o do so even t h o u ~ h
they would l i k e r e f o m s t o cone i n progressively, E v a t h e s e
ref o m s t h e y proposed t o p o s Q o n e f o r a considexable tine.
-
&ut
that the, the mat L a i r was &so here and
I had i m g t a l k s wlth h h then. I told him of Pramier
Xhou h..~af'sfPrfmcUy approactla and' of his aseurmce that
he ubud m~p@@t
fhs autonamy 08 Tibet, 1 rrq[r;ernted to
bdn that he should accept thew W ~ C I ~ L M Ein
C~B
good f d t h
aad ccro(peaate i n aaiatainlng that autostmy arnd br$wlng
abdut ceytedn reforms i n Tibeta The D a a f &ma @reed that
hie country, though, according to hbn, advanoed ~ 5 r f t u a l k g ~
wa6, very bad~wars)wfaPZy and econau.hsally and refonae were
rreede8,
,
it $ 8 not tor U L to say how far these f riendli
intenk.hons and approzKfi0 s n atopi a13 sed,
Tho cdrctanet ancos
w 8 p e mdoubtedgy di;fflculto On t h e one side' there wae' a ,
dynamic, rapidly moving ~ i e t ;
y on t h e other, a s t a t i c ,
unchanging m c i e t y fearfur of what might be done t o i t i n dhe
nane of refome, The df efrmce between the'two was great h d
there agpe ared t o be hardly m y n e ~ f i n gpo$nt, RleanwrR11o '
changee irk sane f o m a i n e v % t & ~cane k, Tibeto Conmunidation6
d e v e l q e d rapdd2y and the long isolation sf Tibet was p a h l x
broken throug!~, Thouqh physic sf b arriere ware' pragreskvely
ra~oved,mental and ~ o t l o n a Sbarriers fncssasedo Apparently,
*he a t t e n p t , t o cross Lieee mental md m o t i o n a l barriers was
6% the^ not made cr d i d not au.=r,eed.,
Ta say that a umber of "upper strata soactionarLesw
I n %bet were aulely reqms$bfe for this appears to'be an
extraordtnwy sLmpliid-cation of a conpiic~tadsituation, $ven
according t o the accoucts received th~ough@h%nesesources, the
revolt in Tibet wae of consi deaablo magnitude and the baais
o f it muat have beon a stmng foeling of national$= which
affects not onLy upper c l a s s psopPc but others also, ' No doubt,
vested intoreets ,ja:nad i t and sought; to prof it by i t o The
at$enpt to e x p l a n a situatton by the use of Pathor worngout
wcrds, phraeros and slagar;~, ie seldm h e l p f u o
of %hoseunhappy developments cane
to Zpdla, there was U e d i a t e i y a strong and widespread Yaaetion,
v13c).:.LIhe fielvs
',.
The C o v e m a a t
...
(Prime M i n i s t e r t 8 s t a t a n e n t on T i b e t i n tab S&ha contd)
The Govennnent d i d not bring about this reaction, Nor was
this r e a c t i o n e s s e n t i a 1 4 p o l i t i c al, It was l a r g e l y one
of eyap athy based on sentitlent and hrn anit ari an reasons,
&sa on a c e r t a i n f e e l i n g of kinship w i t h t h e m b e t a n
peaple detived f m n long-established r e l i g i o u s and c u l t u r a l
contact& I t w a s an i n s t i n c t i v e rewtirm, It is true t h a t
m e people I n I n d i a sought t o p r o f i t by it by turnlng i t
i n an u n d e a r a b l e d i r k t i o n ,
But the f a c t of t h a t *action
of t h e Indian people was there, If t h a t was t h e reaction here,
one nay w e l l imagine t h e , reaction mong the Tibetans themselveis,
Probably t h i s r e a c t i o n i e shared i n t h e o t h e r Buddhist c o u n t r i e e
of Asia, When t h e r e are such strong feelings, which are
e s s e n t i a l l y n o t p o l i t i c a l , they cannot be d e a l t with by p013tioal
methods alone, much l e s s by m i l i t a r y methods,, We have no d e s i r e
whatever to i n t e r f e r e i n T i b e t ; w e have every d e s i r e to malntaln
t h e frlendshSp between I n d i a and Chine ; but a t t h e same t i n e w e
have every sympathy f o r the people of Tibet, and we a r e g r e a t l y
dietreseed a t t h e i r hapless plight. Ve hope still t h a t t h e
w i l l n o t use t h e i r g r e a t
a u t h o r i t i e s of China, i n t h e i r wi-,
s t r e n g t h a g a i n s t t h e Tibetans but w i l l win than t o f r i e n d l y
cooperation i n accordance with the assurances they have
thenselves given about t h e sutonmy of the Tibet region.
JbovQ
all, we hope t h a t the p r e s e n t f i p h t i q and k i l l i n g w i l l cease.
As I have s a i d above, I had a long talk with the D a d
t m a t h r e e days ago a t Aiussoorie. He t o l d ne of t h e d i f f i c u l .
ties he had t o face, of t h e growing resentment of h i s people
at t h e conditions existkng t h e r e and how he sought t o r e s t r a i n
then, of h i s f e e l i n g s t h a t t h e r e l i g i o n of t h e Buddha, which
was more t o him than l i f e i t s e l f , was being endangered, He
said t h a t up t o t h e l a s t mouent He did not a s h t o l e a v e
Lhasas It was only on t h e afternoon of t h e 17th March when,
according t o hin, scne s h e l l s were f i r e d a t h i s palace and f e l l
i n a pond nearby, t h a t t h e sudden decision was taken t o leavo
Within a few hours t h e sane day he and hls p a r t y l e f t
&bas&
Lhasa, and took t h e p e r t l o u s journey t o t h e Indian frontier.
The departure was so h u r r i e d t h a t even an adequate supply of
c l o t h e s e t c could not be brought, Vhen I m e t t h e D a l a i Lama,
no member of h i s entourage w a s present. Even the i n t e r p r e t e r
The Dalai Lma t o l d n e t h a t t h e two s t a t e n c n t s
was our own.
which had been issued were e n t i r e l y h i s own and t h e r e was no
question of anybody cocrciw hin t o make t h m , Gven though he
i s young, I could not e a s i l y imr4:inc t h a t he could be coerced
i n t o doing m e t h i n g he did not wish. A l l my sympathy goes
o u t t o t h i s young nan who at an early age has had t o shoulder
heavy burdens bnd t o f a c e trcnendous r e s p o n s i b i l i t i c s . During
t h e l a s t few weeks hc. has suffered g r e a t physical and montsl
s t r a i n . f advised hin t o rest f o r a while and not t o take
He f e l t very unhappy a t conditions i n
any h u r r i e d decisions,
Tibet and was especi a l l y anxious t h a t f i g h t i n g should stop,
JNG : ST a :NKM
3
CKG
9~0/27,4,59/15.30/3666~
....*