NEW DELHI: The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday the ongoing Doklam crisis in the North East can be peacefully solved in the old spirit of “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai”, a catch phrase that defined Sino-India ties in the 1950s.
This is for the first time since the beginning of the border disputes in June that the 81-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader commented on it.
Asserting that dialogue is the way to solve any problem in this century, the Dalai Lama said, “That’s the only way. One side’s retreat and defeat is an old-time thinking. In modern times, every country is dependent on each other. Destruction of neighbour is destruction of yourself… Two big nations don’t have the ability to eliminate the other or defeat the other. So you have to live side by side,” he said, speaking at the Rajendra Mathur Memorial Lecture organised by the Editors’ Guild of India here.
Indian and Chinese troops have been embroiled in a seven-week confrontation on the Doklam plateau, claimed by both China and India’s ally Bhutan.
“India and China will have to resolve their prolonged military standoff in a remote Himalayan region through talks,” said the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India.
The spiritual leader, who calls himself a ‘chela’ (disciple) of India, also needled China saying he can do more in India, which has freedom.
“Where there is no freedom, I don’t like. There is some tension, but I do not think it is very serious. We need to make distinction between people and governments. The other day, I mentioned that Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai is the only way. India and China have to live side by side,” he said, even as he added that “propaganda and wrong information make things complicated”.
Beijing is upset over the Indian public embracing the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, whom it regards as a “dangerous splittist”.
The Dalai Lama said there was a chance for dialogue to resume with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s representatives after the Communist Party congress in October-November that is expected to confirm Xi for a second term as party general secretary and could reshuffle other top posts.
“This century should be a century of dialogue,” the Nobel peace laureate said in the context of India-China standoff.
India and China have been locked in a face-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for more than 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area.
China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory and has been demanding immediate withdrawal of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau.
Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims it to be its territory and says Thimphu has no dispute with Beijing over it. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had recently said both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution of the border standoff. (With inputs from PTI)
