| Man NORBU |
This article intends to clarify doubts and misconceptions regarding Chinese claim over Indian territory and highlight the real perspective of the people living along the border with regard to the Chinese claim on the basis of historical relationship, religious or cultural affinity.
At the very outset, one has to understand that China not only claims Tawang, but also lays claim to the whole of the State of Arunachal Pradesh calling it as “Southern Tibet”. In fact, China claims around 90,000 square kilometres of territory, roughly the size of Arunachal Pradesh, regarding the area as “disputed.” For instance, during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to India in November 2006, Sun Yuxi, the then Chinese Ambassador to India, stated that “In our position the whole State of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. And Tawang is one of the places in it. We are claiming all of that. That is our position.”
Basically, the Chinese claim over Arunachal Pradesh stems from the “Five Fingers Theory” of Mao Zedong, the first chairman of the Communist Party of China, who termed Tibet as the palm of a hand and Ladakh, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and the then NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh) as its five fingers. Notwithstanding the Chinese general claim to the whole of Arunachal Pradesh, China has made certain specific claims over certain specific areas like Tawang on the basis of relations that Tibet had with Tawang in the past. The Chinese logic is that since Tibet is now a part of China, Arunachal Pradesh should also be a part of it.
No doubt, Tawang and a major portion of West Kameng had been under the Tibetan administration, they came under British Indian administration with the signing of the 1914 Simla Agreement when a new boundary was drawn between British India and Tibet. The Monpas wholeheartedly accepted the new administration without any retaliation. However, Tibet continued to administer the region by collecting taxes from the people for no attempt was made by the British Indian administration to administer the region until 1938. It was only in 1938 that the British paid attention to the region when Captain Lightfoot, the then Political Officer of the then Balipara Frontier Tract, led an expedition to Tawang. But Tibetan authority was restored after Lightfoot’s brief stay at Tawang. It is very interesting to note that even after almost three years of Independence, India did not establish its authority over Tawang. India asserted its administrative control over Tawang in February 1951, when Major R Bob Khating led Indian Army troops to relocate Chinese squatters and the Tibetan administration was ultimately removed. Thus, Tibetan administration came to an end and the Monpas once again came under Indian administration.
So far as Chinese claim over Arunachal is concerned, one would be surprised to know that there has been no consistency in the Chinese territorial claims. From 36,000 square miles claimed in 1959, they increased their claims to 90,000 square kilometres by 1965. China has become visibly aggressive with regard to its territorial claim as a result of which many indigenous people of Arunachal had to suffer on various occasions. China denied visas to many people of Arunachal Pradesh claiming that the entire state as its territory and that indigenous inhabitants of Arunachal are their own people and thus do not require any visa to visit their own country. For instance, China denied visa to Ganesh Koyu, an IAS officer from Arunachal Pradesh in 2007 citing that he is a citizen of China by virtue of being from the State of Arunachal Pradesh and therefore needed no visa to visit his own country which resulted into cancellation of the entire 100-member IAS delegation. Similarly, Gegong Apang, the former Chief Minister of Arunachal, was also denied a visa. The same incident happened to Group Captain Mohonto Panging, a senior Indian Air Force officer from Arunachal Pradesh, who was to visit China as part of a 30-member Integrated Defence team under a bilateral defence exchange programme. There are numerous other such instances like two young women archers from Arunachal Pradesh namely, Mihu Maselo and Yumi Sorang were given stapled visas in October 2013 by the Chinese embassy, who were heading to Wuxi for Youth World Archery Championship.
China raised strong objections when the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh in November 2009. Reacting to his proposed visit, Jiang Yu, the spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry asserted that “China’s stance on the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ is consistent. We firmly oppose Dalai visiting the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’.” However, India acted against China. Late Dorjee Khandu, the former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, termed Chinese claim over Arunachal as absurd. He stated, “Chinese claim of Arunachal is baseless. So India should once for all settle the border dispute and clarify all doubts.”
Besides, China has expressed strong concern and objections to the visit of Indian leaders in the state on several occasions. China strongly reacted when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Arunachal Pradesh to campaign for the Congress during the state assembly elections in October 2009. Again, China also expressed objection against the visit of AK Antony, the then Defence Minister of India, to Arunachal Pradesh in 2012. Likewise, Chinese official Xinhua news agency reiterated Beijing’s territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh, coinciding with the then President Pranab Mukherjee’s two days visit to Arunachal from 29th-30th November, 2013. In a report, Xinhua said China saw the state as being “currently under Indian illegal occupation.” “The so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ was established largely on the three areas of China’s Tibet- Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul currently under Indian illegal occupation,” the Xinhua report said. The report further added that “These three areas, located between the illegal ‘McMahon Line’ and the traditional customary boundary between China and India, have always been Chinese territory.”
Besides, China objected and tried to block 2.9 billion US dollar Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan in June 2009 because portion of the loan i.e. 60 million US dollar had to be used for the development of Arunachal Pradesh and thus China sought to broadcast its claim over Arunachal Pradesh in a multilateral forum or institution for the first time.
China started its claim over Tawang during 1960 border talks between India and China. But it was more a form of bargain to exchange the Aksai Chin with that of the then NEFA. China offered to give up its entire claim in Arunachal Pradesh if India accepted Chinese claim to Aksai Chin in Ladakh on two different occasions in 1960 and 1980. The first offer was put forward by the then Chinese Prime Minister Chou En-lai in 1960 during his visit to India and the second by Deng Xiaoping in 1980, who proposed an offer similar to Chou En-lai’s offer viz., giving the areas south of McMahon Line to India and Aksai Chin to China. However, India refused to accept this ‘east west swap’ offer and India’s refusal led China to press their claims over Tawang on the plea that the region had close cultural and religious linkages with Tibet.
On the one hand, while China claims Tawang on behalf of Tibetans, the Tibetans do not claim Tawang to be Tibetan territory which seems to be quite interesting. The 14th Dalai Lama himself acknowledged the validity of the 1914 Simla Agreement and the McMohan Line drawn between Tibet and British India several times. Expressing his surprise over Chinese claim on Tawang during his visit to Tawang in November 2009 stated that the People’s Liberation Army occupied Tawang during 1962 war with India. “But the then Chinese government declared a unilateral ceasefire and withdrew. Now the Chinese have got different views. This is something which I really don’t know. I am little bit surprised’’. Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in Exile said, “We recognise it because we agreed to it.’’ Likewise, several other Tibetan leaders have similar views and recognise the McMahon Line.
Even the views of the people of Tawang are just opposite to that of the Chinese government so far the people’s perception on Chinese claim over Tawang is concerned. The Monpas are of the view that Chinese claim is totally illegal and baseless. They not only consider Tawang as an integral part of India but also perceive Tibet as an independent sovereign nation. The Monpas rather believe that China does not even have any right over Tibet because China forcefully captured Tibet against the wishes of the people and compelled the Dalai Lama to leave Lhasa. They consider Tibet as an independent country and deny Chinese claim over Tawang on the basis of its historical relations with Tibet because Tibet was then an independent nation having complete authority of making any decision and sign any agreement with any country.
They believe that although Tawang was historically under Tibetan administration, it became a part of Indian union through a peaceful agreement with the then Tibetan Government and thus China should recognise the validity of the McMahon Line. They opine that though China did not ratify the 1914 Simla convention between Tibet and British India, their main concern was the boundary with Tibet not with British India, and hence China has no genuine reason behind their claim.
The Monpas by virtue of their patriotism and their inclination towards India, helped Indian army during 1962 war by carrying “Whoolas” (loads) of the Indian army to various posts. They played the role of porters, guides and messengers of Indian army. Many locals lost their life and many injured while helping Indian army and some were taken as prisoners. The Chinese did their best to win over the hearts of the locals. They adopted a positive attitude towards the Monpas and tried to impress them. They adopted various tactics to win over the confidence of the locals and tried to build affinity with the local people on the basis of race and physical features. Despite of Chinese positive attitude and tactics, the Monpas proved their patriotism towards India by helping Indian army in every manner.
Thus, the Monpas are integrated and happy with the Indian Union in spite of several strong Chinese claims and efforts during and after the war, they have been consistent in their approach. But at the same time China is constantly staking its claim based on the historical relationship between Tibet and Tawang. Disproving Chinese claim over Arunachal Pradesh, the Monpas argue that considering Arunachal and Tawang in particular as “Southern Tibet” and any indigenous people of Arunachal as “Chinese citizen” on the basis of historical past would be as improper as considering an Indian as British simply based on the fact of being under British administration in the past. Hence, the Chinese claim over Arunachal is strongly rejected from local intellectual perspective and thus Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable and integral part of India.
[The author is Assistant Professor (Guest), Department of National Security Studies, Rajiv Gandhi University and can be reached at mannorbu12@gmail.com]
Newsflash
