Sunday November 8, 2009

Dalai Lama begins visit to disputed India state

By Krittivas Mukherjee

TAWANG, India (Reuters) - Thousands of Buddhist monks and supporters welcomed Tibet's exiled spiritual leader on Sunday to a remote Indian region also claimed by China, a trip that has renewed tensions between the Asian giants.

The Dalai Lama speaks at the Light of Truth Awards ceremony in Washington October 7, 2009. Thousands of Buddhist monks and supporters welcomed Tibet's exiled spiritual leader on Sunday to a remote Indian region also claimed by China, a trip that has renewed tensions between the Asian giants. (REUTERS/Richard Clement/Files)

The Dalai Lama arrived by helicopter in this remote Buddhist enclave nestled in the icy folds of the eastern Himalayas, where he had passed through after fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The visit, as well as reports of border incursions in recent months, has triggered tensions between the world's two most populous nations, whose relations remain hostage to mutual suspicion lingering from a brief 1962 border war.

Beijing has criticised the visit as undermining Chinese territorial integrity. It has slammed the Dalai Lama's "scheme to wreck China's relations" with India.

The Tibetan leader says the weeklong visit is merely a spiritual lecture tour.

China lays claim to 90,000 sq km of land on the eastern sector of the border. India disputes that and instead says China occupies 38,000 sq km (15,000 sq miles) of territory in Aksai Chin plateau in the western Himalayas.

Hundreds of people lined the road to Tawang -- a moonscape of steep, craggy mountains and white stupas, which is home to the Monpa people who practice Tibetan Buddhism and speak a tongue similar to Tibetan.

Roads were washed, welcome gates with colourful Buddhist paintings erected and the valley's main monastery decked up. With hundreds of exiled Tibetans arriving for the event from all over India, the town took on a carnival look to greet the Dalai Lama.

"He is our god," said a young woman who gave her name as Choeden in between helping put up Tibetan scripture-bearing holy flags.

"He has come back to bless us all. China may or may not recognise him but that is not important for us. Can the Chinese remove him from our hearts?"

Lamas or monks swathed in maroon and saffron robes chanted sutras, blew gongs and swung incense sticks before a 25-ft high golden Buddha at the main monastery - a pagoda-like structure with brilliant red, blue and white paintings.

ANGER

The Tawang monastery is said to be the biggest after the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

Outside, many locals expressed rage with China.

"The Chinese government is pure evil and it knows what the Dalai Lama means to us," said Pema Tsering, who runs a local grocery store. "They call him names to belittle him. But he is like the ocean, a few drops of poison doesn't spoil it."

Beijing calls the Dalai Lama a dangerous "splittist" plotting Tibetan independence, a charge he denies. He says he is merely seeking autonomy for Tibet.

Tawang, in Arunachal Pradesh state, is the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama and part of territory Beijing considers as "southern" Tibet, and is at the heart of the border row with India.

India and China, which compete for global resources and influence, have also exchanged diplomatic barbs at multi-lateral forums and sparred over visa policies for their citizens in an escalating row that many fear could spiral out of control.

This, despite relations thawing in recent years on the back of mutual trade that is expected to exceed $60 billion next year, a 30-fold increase since 2000.

(Additional reporting by Biswajyoti Das)

(Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Sanjeev Miglani)

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