Thursday, May 16, 2013

Chinese daily blames British for confusion over Aksai Chin--Confusion over Aksai Chin, the area occupied by China during 1962 war with India, was created by colonial British rulers

Chinese daily blames British for confusion over Aksai Chin
Confusion over Aksai Chin, the area
occupied by China during 1962 war with India, was created by
colonial British rulers who have never presented it to Chinese
governments in the past, an article in an official daily here
said today.
    "India's claim to Aksai Chin is mainly based on the
Johnson Line proposed in 1865. Aksai Chin was put inside
Kashmir in the proposal. However, the line was never presented
to the Chinese government and was severely criticised for its
gross inaccuracies by the British government, which had
dominant colonial power in India at that time," an article in
the Global Times said today.
    From the 1950s, India started establishing outposts in
the area, having set up 43 in its heyday in the border regions
of Xinjiang and Tibet, it said.
    The site of the latest standoff, referred to as the
Depsang Valley, is called Tiannan River Valley by the Chinese.
    It is located in the western sector of Aksai Chin, which
is largely a vast high-altitude desert covering an area of
about 37,000 square km, the article, a compilation of views of
Indian and Chinese analysts on the recent stand off, said.
    Aksai Chin is also one of the two main disputed border
areas over which China and India fought the 1962 war.
    The area is administered by China as part of Hotan county
in the Hotan prefecture of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous
Region. India regards Aksai Chin as a part of the Ladakh
district, it said.
    Although China dismantled the Indian outposts after the
1962 war and has since reinforced its actual control of the
area, Indian troops continue to patrol the area, it said.
    A Chinese analyst Hu Shisheng, an expert on South Asia
research at the China Institute of Contemporary International
Relations refuted the perception that India is getting closer
to Japan, Vietnam, Korea and Myanmar apprehending aggressive
moves by China.
    India is unlikely to become an ally with countries
involved in territorial disputes with China, Hu said.
    "Only if India maintains its strategic independence can
it maximize gains from its relations with other countries," he
said.

IPL Cricket match fixing case--How Delhi Police stumbled upon spot-fixing in IPL

IPL Cricket match fixing case--How Delhi Police stumbled upon spot-fixing in IPL

           It all started with a probe into a
case related to organised crime when an alert official of
Delhi Police's Special Cell heard an unusual conversation
about giving signals at the cricket ground.
          This generated some interest in the official who, after
informing his seniors, began finding as to who has to give
signals and why.
          After monitoring a phone call, the investigation had
virtually turned pan-India with some of the bookies based in
Gujarat and Mumbai.
          After stumbling upon the "accidental" call, the Delhi
Police's Special Cell, which recently had Madan Mohan Oberoi
as its Joint Commissioner after completing his tenure with
CBI, began monitoring all the phones linked to one call.
          And as time passed by, the Delhi Police sensed it was a
sensational case.
            Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar was personally
monitoring the case almost on a daily basis and had
coordinated with police forces of other states as well so that
there is no faux pas.
            And finally after recording over 100s of hours of
conversations, Delhi Police decided to crack the whip by
arresting 14 people including three players of Rajasthan
Royals -- S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.
            Meanwhile, the case for which the monitoring was being
done is still under investigation.

No LPG to houses with multiple-connections from Jun 1

No LPG to houses with multiple-connections from Jun 1
 Cooking gas or LPG supplies to
households having unverified multiple connections will stop
from June 1, state-owned oil firms announced today.
     The three state-owned fuel retailers have been "directed
to stop supplies of LPG refills to households having multiple-
connections for which no KYC (Know Your Customer) details have
been received, with effect from June 1," a statement issued by
Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest oil firm, said.
     No transactions, including delivery of non-subsidised
cylinders, will be permitted in such cases once such
connections have been blocked.
     IOC said all multiple LPG connection holders have been
identified and intimated. All three firms, IOC, Hindustan
Petroleum (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) are sharing data
on LPG customers.
     Customers whose name figure on the list of multiple
connection holders need to submit their KYC details along with
proof of identity and proof of address immediately to their
LPG distributors to continue receiving uninterrupted quota of
subsidised cylinders, IOC said.
     Other customers whose names do not appear in the list
need not submit their KYC details as of now.
     "The oil companies are advising all multiple-connection
holders to submit their KYC details, pertaining to the LPG
connection they wish to retain, immediately to their LPG
distributors," the statement said adding customers have been
advised to surrender excess or multiple connections.
     Though the deadline for submission of KYC was December
31, 2012, KYCs are being accepted and LPG connections are
being regularised for supply of subsidised cylinders till
date, it added.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sun blasts out three flares in 24 hours

Sun blasts out three flares in 24 hours

          Solar flare bonanza! The Sun has
emitted the third significant solar flare within 24 hours, the
strongest X-class flare this year so far.
          The flare, classified as an X3.2 flare, surpassed in
strength the two flares that occurred earlier in the 24-hour
period.
          The flare was also associated with a coronal mass
ejection, or CME. However, CME was not Earth-directed.
          Experimental NASA research models show that the CME left
the Sun at approximately  2,253 km per second, which is
particularly fast for a CME.
            The models suggest that it will catch up to the two CMEs
associated with the earlier flares. The merged cloud of solar
material will pass by the Spitzer spacecraft and may give a
glancing blow to the STEREO-B and Epoxi spacecraft.
            Their mission operators have been notified. If warranted,
operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the
instruments from solar material.
            The X2.8-class flare was also associated with a coronal
mass ejection, or CME, another solar phenomenon that can send
billions of tons of solar particles into space, which can
potentially affect electronic systems in satellites and on the
ground.
            The second-strongest was an X5.4 event on March 7, 2012.
The strongest was an X6.9 on August 9, 2011.
            Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful
radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere
to physically affect humans on the ground, however - when
intense enough - they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer
where GPS and communications signals travel.
            This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare
is ongoing - the radio blackout associated with this flare has
since subsided.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Intellectual imprisonment---China tightens grip on discourse, ideology--frozen the microblog accounts of intellectuals

China tightens grip on discourse, ideology

 Chinese authorities have shut down
or frozen the microblog accounts of several prominent liberal
intellectuals and harassed rights lawyers lobbying against
unofficial "black jails," underlining the determination of the
country's new leadership to control dissent even as it vows to
root out corruption.
    The moves over the last few days occurred around the time
officials announced that a senior official was being
investigated for graft, months after a prominent journalist
accused him of wrongdoing.
    The probe against Liu Tienan, deputy chairman of China's
economic planning agency, was heralded by the Chinese press as
proof that the battle against corruption is best fought when
authorities allow public participation.
    "The authorities and the people combined their strengths
in this case, and it is an encouragement to the public's power
in fighting corruption," said a state-run daily, the Beijing
News, in a commentary.
    But in other instances, the authoritarian government has
shown an unwavering intent to clamp down on anyone who seeks
to publicly pressure it into social or political change. The
message appears to be that if any reform is on the agenda, the
Communist Party will push it through on its own terms.
    "The controls are tighter than ever," said Li Cheng, an
expert on China's elite politics at the Washington-based
Brookings Institution. "The challenges are greater, so the
suppression is escalating."
    Small groups of activists have been detained in Beijing
and other cities for holding banners calling for officials to
publicly declare their assets a key anti-graft measure that
the government has been reluctant to implement.
    One activist, Liu Ping, has been accused of inciting
subversion, a vaguely worded charge frequently used to
suppress dissidents.
    Authorities are also maintaining a years-long effort to
quash legal activism.
    On Monday, several rights lawyers attempting to visit one
of China's unofficial detention centers also known as "black
jails" in the southwestern city of Ziyang were beaten by
unidentified men, said Beijing attorney Li Heping, who was
contacted by one of the lawyers.
    The efforts to police discourse are also being ramped up
in the Chinese blogosphere, where users often challenge the
government's version of events and its control over
information.
    Over the weekend, authorities apparently removed all
microblog accounts belonging to the writer Hao Qun, better
known by his pen name Murong Xuecun, from four different
sites. His subsequent efforts to set up new accounts have been
blocked, he said.

China blue book---'India preparing for a possible two-front war with Pak, China



'India preparing for a possible two-front war with Pak, China'

                     India continues to view Pakistan as
the "real threat" even though it is adjusting its military
strategy to include the possibility of a limited two-front war
with both Pakistan and China, the first Blue Book on India
published by a Chinese think tank said.
          Pakistan is India's main "real threat" to maintain a high
degree of vigilance and preparedness, the summary of the Blue
Book released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,
(CASS) said.
          The report says Indian military deployment on land is
mainly fixated against Pakistan but in recent times, it is
also being adjusted for both China and Pakistan.
          The book in Chinese language, the first ever on India,
said, New Delhi is focusing to deal with limited war with
China and Pakistan at the same time.
            It spoke of large increase in troops at the borders and
upgradation of border forces with new weapons and equipment.
            The report spoke about India's maritime military
deployment in recent years, the prime cause of China's worry
as it regards India's fast expanding blue water navy as a
major threat.
            The book, which speaks of India's efforts in the past to
strengthen its maritime military strength in the East,
specially mentioned Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command and
its bases in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
            It also spoke of increase in Indian defence budget with
the rapid growth of the Indian economy making it the biggest
buyer of the international arms.
            About India's policy towards neighbours, it said New Delhi
continued to pursue the "Gujral Doctrine" on neighbouring
countries to provide unilateral assistance, enhancing mutual
trust and cooperation with the neighbouring countries of South
Asia, while continuing to push forward the peace process with
Pakistan.
            India also established a strategic partnership with
Afghanistan while developing relations with Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka and Nepal, it said.


The book also mentioned India's bid for the permanent

membership of the UN Security Council in association with
Germany, Japan and Brazil besides India's Look East Policy
improving relations with Japan, Vietnam, Australia in the
backdrop of US' Asia Pacific push.
            While cautioning the Chinese establishment against
underestimating India's "great potential" for development in
future, it has highlighted the recent corruption scandals
which has damaged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government.
            However, the book praised India's progress saying that it
has achieved remarkable progress.
            Since the implementation of a comprehensive economic
reform in 1991, India's economic development has made
remarkable achievements with accelerated economic growth
improving the comprehensive economic strength resulting in
"India's rise".
            Noting the campaigns like "Incredible India", "world
office", it said India remained one of the fastest growing
economies in the world.
            But at the same time, India faced many contradictions in
its aura of high-growth which include the problem of poverty,
uneven development, irrational industrial structure, the high
fiscal deficit, it said.

First Made in India rotavirus vaccine, cost just around Rs 50

First Made in India rotavirus vaccine, cost just around Rs 50

An indigenously-developed vaccine
that could cost around just Rs 50 per dose was unveiled here
today to treat severe rotavirus diarrhoea, which kills more
than one lakh children under the age of five in India every
year.
    The Rotavac vaccine, which is a culmination of efforts
spanning 28 years, has an efficacy of 56 per cent if
administered in the first year of life, according to
scientists who released the results of the Phase III clinical
trials of the vaccine.
    "Rotavac significantly reduced severe rotavirus diarrhoea
by more than half," M K Bhan, former Secretary, Department of
Biotechnology, who isolated the rotavirus strain in 1985 while
pursuing research at AIIMS, told reporters here.
    However, commercial production of the vaccine would take
some time as it is yet to get clearance from the Drug
Controller General of India (DCGI).
    "We are planning to file a dossier with the DCGI in July.
We will come to the market after getting the requisite
regulatory clearances," Krishna M Ella, Chairman and Managing
Director, Bharat Biotech, said.
    Bharat Biotech, which has been associated in the
development of vaccine candidates and clinical trials, has
announced a price of USD one (about Rs 54.7 )per dose--much
cheaper than other rotavirus vaccines available in the market.
The price of the vaccine now used is in the range of Rs 800 to
900.
    Officials said there were two licensed rotavirus vaccines
introduced in more than 40 countries but they remain out of
reach for many in the developing world.
    "The results indicate that the vaccine, if licensed,
could save the lives of thousands of children each year in
India," K Vijay Raghavan, Secretary, Department of
Biotechnology, said.
    Rotavac is an oral vaccine administered to infants in a
three-dose course at the ages of six, 10 and 14 weeks
alongside routine immunisations recommended at these ages.
    According to a study in Lancet, Rotavirus is most common
causative agent of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) among
infants below 11 months age group in India.

Mount Everest losing its cloak of ice and snow

Mount Everest losing its cloak of ice and snow
 Mount Everest is shedding its
frozen cloak as its glaciers have shrunk at an alarming rate
of 13 per cent over the last 50 years due to global warming, a
new study has warned.
    Glaciers smaller than one square kilometre are
disappearing the fastest and have experienced a 43 per cent
decrease in surface area since the 1960s, researchers said.
    The snow-line also has shifted upward by 180 meters,
according to lead researcher Sudeep Thakuri, from the
University of Milan in Italy.
    Because the glaciers are melting faster than they are
replenished by ice and snow, they are revealing rocks and
debris that were previously hidden deep under the ice.
    These debris-covered sections of the glaciers have
increased by about 17 per cent since the 1960s, according to
Thakuri. The ends of the glaciers have also retreated by an
average of 400 meters since 1962, the team found.
    Researchers taking a new look at the snow and ice covering
of Mount Everest and the national park have also been studying
temperature and precipitation trends in the area.
    They found that the Everest region has been warming while
snowfall has been declining since the early 1990s.
    Researchers suspect that the decline of snow and ice in
the Everest region is from human-generated greenhouse gases
altering global climate.
    However, they have not yet established a firm connection
between the mountains' changes and climate change, Thakuri
said.
    Thakuri and his team determined the extent of glacial
change on Everest and the surrounding 1,148 square kilometre
Sagarmatha National Park by compiling satellite imagery and
topographic maps and reconstructing the glacial history.
    Their statistical analysis shows that the majority of the
glaciers in the national park are retreating at an increasing
rate, Thakuri said.
    The researchers found that the Everest region has
undergone a 0.6 degree Celsius increase in temperature and 100
millimetre decrease in precipitation during the pre-monsoon
and winter months since 1992.
    "The Himalayan glaciers and ice caps are considered a
water tower for Asia since they store and supply water
downstream during the dry season," said Thakuri.
    "Downstream populations are dependent on the melt water
for agriculture, drinking, and power production," he said.
    The findings were presented at the Meeting of the Americas
in Cancun, Mexico - a scientific conference organised by the
American Geophysical Union. PTI SAR AKJ
SAR
05141607


    Washington, May 14 (PTI) Mount Everest is shedding its
frozen cloak as its glaciers have shrunk at an alarming rate
of 13 per cent over the last 50 years due to global warming, a
new study has warned.
    Glaciers smaller than one square kilometre are
disappearing the fastest and have experienced a 43 per cent
decrease in surface area since the 1960s, researchers said.
    The snow-line also has shifted upward by 180 meters,
according to lead researcher Sudeep Thakuri, from the
University of Milan in Italy.
    Because the glaciers are melting faster than they are
replenished by ice and snow, they are revealing rocks and
debris that were previously hidden deep under the ice.
    These debris-covered sections of the glaciers have
increased by about 17 per cent since the 1960s, according to
Thakuri. The ends of the glaciers have also retreated by an
average of 400 meters since 1962, the team found.
    Researchers taking a new look at the snow and ice covering
of Mount Everest and the national park have also been studying
temperature and precipitation trends in the area.
    They found that the Everest region has been warming while
snowfall has been declining since the early 1990s.
    Researchers suspect that the decline of snow and ice in
the Everest region is from human-generated greenhouse gases
altering global climate.
    However, they have not yet established a firm connection
between the mountains' changes and climate change, Thakuri
said.
    Thakuri and his team determined the extent of glacial
change on Everest and the surrounding 1,148 square kilometre
Sagarmatha National Park by compiling satellite imagery and
topographic maps and reconstructing the glacial history.
    Their statistical analysis shows that the majority of the
glaciers in the national park are retreating at an increasing
rate, Thakuri said.
    The researchers found that the Everest region has
undergone a 0.6 degree Celsius increase in temperature and 100
millimetre decrease in precipitation during the pre-monsoon
and winter months since 1992.
    "The Himalayan glaciers and ice caps are considered a
water tower for Asia since they store and supply water
downstream during the dry season," said Thakuri.
    "Downstream populations are dependent on the melt water
for agriculture, drinking, and power production," he said.
    The findings were presented at the Meeting of the Americas
in Cancun, Mexico - a scientific conference organised by the
American Geophysical Union.

Sanjay Dutt urges court to allow him to surrender before jail

 Sanjay Dutt urges court to allow him to surrender before jail

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt,
convicted in 1993 bomb blasts case, today urged a designated
TADA court here to allow him to surrender before Yerwada jail
in Pune instead of giving himself up before the special court.
    Judge G A Sanap, hearing the actor's application,
asked CBI to file a reply and posted the hearing on Dutt's
plea tomorrow. Public prosecutor Deepak Salvi appeared for
the Government and CBI.
    Dutt filed the application in the TADA court, hours
after the Supreme Court refused to grant Dutt additional time
to surrender for undergoing the remaining 42 months jail term
in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
    The apex court was hearing a petition filed by a film
producer, who sought time for Dutt to complete his
under-production films.
    Dutt, convicted under the Arms Act and sentenced to
five year jail term, is supposed to surrender on May 16
before the authorities.
    On May 10, the apex court had dismissed Dutt's plea
seeking review of its judgement on his conviction and
five-year jail term.
    53-year-old Dutt was earlier granted four weeks more
time to surrender to undergo the remaining jail term.
    The Supreme Court, on March 21, had upheld his
conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, which it said was
engineered by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and others with
the involvement of Pakistan's ISI.
    However, the apex court had reduced to five years the
six-year jail term awarded to Dutt by a designated TADA court
in 2006 while ruling out his release on probation, saying the
"nature" of his offence was "serious".
    Dutt was convicted by the TADA court for illegally
possessing a 9 mm pistol and an AK-56 rifle, which were part
of a consignment of weapons and explosives brought to India
for coordinated serial blasts that killed 257 people and
injured over 700 in 1993.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Govt unveils ad campaign, says not 'India Shining' but reality

            Govt unveils ad campaign, says not 'India Shining' but reality

           With an eye on general elections
government today unveiled a series of audio-visual clips as a
part of its multi media campaign to highlight its achievements
and showcase impact of UPA's policies in the last nine years.
          Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari, in
whose presence the presentation was made, said the multimedia
initiative was different from the 'India Shining' campaign of
the NDA in 2004.
          "This is not India Shining but the actual story of India
that we are trying to present to you through these 12-13
spots," Tewari told reporters here.
          Officials said that the audio video clips that have been
directed by Bollywood filmmaker Pradip Sarkar of 'Parineeta'
fame would start playing in cinema halls and TV channels in
the coming days.
            Speaking about the audio video campaign, Tewari said that
it was only a small glimpse of the silent revolution that had
taken place during the UPA regime where the people were being
empowered through a rights based institutional structure
encompasing schemes like Right to Information, MHREGA, JNNURM,
PMGSY and new schemes like the Right to Food and Direct
Benefits Transfer schemes.
            Responding to a question on corruption, Tewari said that
whenever there were any allegations against anyone, UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
asked the particular person to step down.
            He hit out at the BJP saying that a similar promptness was
not shown in Karnataka.
            He also added that the government was sensitive to the
issue of inflation.

Indian politicians use China threat to win votes:Chinese daily

Indian politicians use China threat to win votes:Chinese daily

     Indian politicians were using China
threat as "trick" to avoid domestic problems, win votes and to
obtain advanced weaponry from Western countries, a Chinese
state-run newspaper claimed today.
    "Within India, the so-called China threat is a trick by
Indian political figures to fool their people and Western
countries," said an article in the web edition of the Global
Times, which is controlled by the ruling Communist Party.
    Highlighting the recent "tent confrontations" between the
Indian and Chinese armies in the Ladakh region, the article
said, "By making waves about China, Indian politicians can
avoid domestic problems, bolster up national morale, and raise
votes. And on the international level, India can obtain
advanced weaponry and technologies from Western countries."
    "Currently, Indian policymakers have a relatively clear
judgment on Sino-Indian relations and Indian-US ones. India
doesn't have the ability to directly confront China yet, and
as a country prioritising economic development, India is in
need of a peaceful neighboring environment," it said.
    The article appeared on a day when China announced the
dates of Premier Li Keqiang's maiden visit to India from May
19 to 21.
    About the recent "tent confrontation" in Ladkah area
where Chinese troops set up tens, it said: "from an Indian
perception, the Chinese army has invaded Indian territory, and
this time is the most serious invasion in the past 25 years".
    "Some Indian media outlets claim China has invaded Indian
territory 600 times in the past three years," it said.
    The Sino-Indian border issue is very complicated, and
even resulted in war in 1962. That conflict became the excuse
for India to bolster the military and develop nuclear weapons.
The root reason for so many "incursions" is that the two sides
have not reached a consensus on the Line of Actual Control,
let alone a formal border, it said.
    However, since 1993, China and India have signed two
agreements and one protocol on the maintenance of peace and
tranquillity. These efforts have helped ensure durable peace
and stability in the region.
    "There is a very small possibility that China and India
will fall into serious conflict," it said.
    Nevertheless, bilateral relations between China and India
are very delicate. As well as the boundary problem, China-
Pakistan relations, the Dalai Lama issue, and tension over
water resources also hinder the promotion of China-India ties.
    These problems mean India has a deep-seated distrust of
China, the article said.  With the US "rebalancing" toward the
Asia-Pacific, the Sino-Indian relationship is seeing subtle
changes these days, it said.
    So far, India has strengthened its "Look East" policy. It
has enhanced strategic and security cooperation with countries
such as Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam, and has
taken a high-profile in the South China Sea disputes, it said.
    In December 2011, the first trilateral dialogue between
the US, Japan and India was presided over by the US, and one
of the topics discussed was China's growing military and
political global position. It's no wonder many think that
India may abandon strategic autonomy in order to ally with the
US and contain China, it added.

S&P says Sharif win bodes well for Pakistan rating

S&P says Sharif win bodes well for Pakistan rating

Pinning hopes on significant
economic reforms in Pakistan after Nawaz Sharif's victory in
general elections, global agency S&P today said that the
development bodes well for the country's credit profile, but
ruled out any upgrade from the present junk grade rating.
    S&P currently has a 'B-' sovereign credit rating on
Pakistan, which is a non-investment or junk grade rating and
means that the country is vulnerable to adverse business,
financial and economic conditions but currently has the
capacity to meet financial commitments.
    In a statement issued here, Standard & Poor's Ratings
Services (S&P) said that Pakistan's parliamentary election
results set the stage for longer-term stability of its 'B-'
sovereign credit rating on the country.
     Welcoming the strong lead taken by the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz party (PML-N) in poll results, S&P said: "This is
a key achievement for Pakistan's maturing democracy, in the
face of general economic malaise, widespread and incessant
sectarian and political violence, large-scale domestic
insurgencies, and ongoing tension with neighboring India."
     S&P said that in its earlier report on Pakistan in April
it had outlined its view that "timely, successful, and
credible elections were essential for Pakistan to deliver a
government with a reasonable chance of tackling the country's
economic imbalances, including a looming balance of payments
crisis.Preliminary election results indicate such an outcome.
    "The elections took place on schedule, without major
shortcomings that would result in a disputed outcome, and with
a large voter turnout despite intimidation and bombings on
election day by extremist elements.
    "The 60 per cent voter turnout, compared with 44 per cent
in the 2008 elections, ensures greater legitimacy for the new
government.
     "Moreover, the results suggest that PML-N is likely to
have a lead that will enable it to form a coalition without
the support of major political rivals or the minor parties.
     "We believe the election outcome puts the incoming
government in good stead to sew up an IMF deal soon," S&P
credit analyst Agost Benard said.
     "This is needed to stabilise external finances and to
provide the policy framework for necessary fiscal and energy
sector reforms. If successful, these efforts will underpin the
continued stability of the sovereign ratings at the current
'B-' level," he added.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

India won't allow Dalai Lama's political activity, says China


India won't allow Dalai Lama's political activity, says China

 
China has expressed confidence that

India would not allow the Dalai Lama to indulge in any

political activity in the country and the Tibetan spiritual

leader should not be seen as a problem for bilateral ties.

          "The Dalai Lama has been living in India as a guest. The

Indian government has said that it will not allow the Dalai

Lama to indulge in any political activity. China has full

confidence in it," Cui Yuying, Vice Minister in the State

Council Information Office, told a group of visiting foreign

journalists here.

          Cue, a Tibetan herself, said both China and India are

developing economically and the Dalai Lama should not be seen

as a problem.

            She said the respect for the Dalai Lama is only because

of the title and the present Tibetan spiritual leader has done

nothing good for the community.

            Cui said many Tibetans are having false hopes about the

Dalai Lama.

            "People's respect for the Dalai Lama is only because of

the title," Cue said, adding the Dalai Lama has done nothing

good for the Tibetans.

            "All he has done is to separate the people. It is not

necessary for the Chinese government to make people know what

the intentions of the Dalai Lama actually are. It is for the

people to decide and they know what his intentions are."

            She said that the Dalai Lama and his followers are not

necessarily leading good lives. "A lot of his followers have

returned to China. Several of his followers have related their

plight. None of their stories were interesting."

            After the Dalai Lama fled his Himalayan homeland more

than 50 years ago following an armed uprising against the

Communist rule, most of the monasteries were in dilapidated

condition, said Cue. "We have now restored them and the result

is for you to see."

            She also said that China has been consistent in its

policy to Tibetans settling abroad. "The door is always open

for them to return."

            Lian Xiang Min, director of the Tibetology Centre here,

said people's opinion differ on the absence of the Dalai Lama

from Tibet.

            "But most Tibetans don't agree in terms of his politics.

Tibetans consider the Dalai Lama as a religious leader. After

peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, people don't agree with

the political ideas of the Dalai Lama," he said.

            He said there are six million Tibetans living across the

globe, of which 2.7 million live in Tibet alone.

            China has been accusing the Dalai Lama of trying to drive

out the ethnic people, including Hans, who have been living in

the Tibet Autonomous Region for centuries and denying the

rights of other ethnic minorities.

            Besides, China has accused the Dalai Lama of putting

hurdles in establishing warm relations between Beijing and the

Tibetan people.