Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Written in English by Richard Finney. Click here to read more
Indian army officers are learning about Tibet in a new program aimed at promoting a better understanding of the formerly independent Himalayan country, now a part of China, in response to deadly clashes along their high-altitude border in 2020, sources say.
The initiative was launched with a 42-day course taught at the Central Institute of Himalayan and Cultural Studies in Arunachal Pradesh, a northeastern Indian state bordering Tibet, and attended by army officers deployed to the geographically sensitive region, India’s Defence Ministry announced this week.
The course ending on Sunday included lessons in the Tibetan language, classes on Tibetan Buddhism and literature, and visits to local monasteries in the culturally Tibetan area, now claimed by China as part of its own territory, the Ministry said, adding that similar courses are planned for the future.
Speaking to RFA on July 17, French-born journalist and Tibet expert Claude Arpi praised the Indian government program, saying it should now be extended to other government departments because of ongoing tensions along contested parts of the border between China and India.
“This initiative by the Indian government would also be good for the Indian Administrative Services in Ladakh, Sikkim and the Uttarakhand border area, and for other governing Indian officers,” Arpi said following his participation as an instructor in the month-long teaching course.
Also speaking to RFA, Jayadeva Ranade — former member of the Cabinet Secretariat of the Indian government and now president of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy — noted that plans for the teaching program were begun following deadly border clashes in June 2020 between Chinese and Indian troops in the northeastern Indian territory of Ladakh.
“Also, having a comprehensive knowledge of Tibet’s history and traditions will be beneficial for everyone,” Ranade added.