It is Time India Gave its Policy on Tibet Some Strategic Coherence

Context: Beijing is in a strong position, but New Delhi should resist China's efforts to consolidate its current hold on Tibetan politics

China's policy towards Tibet

• Mix of persuasion, development, connectivity, indoctrination and coercion

• Efforts to make them Pro-Chinese:

•  China aims to construct an "ironclad shield to safeguard stability" against separatists and hostile foreign interests by sinicizing Tibetan Buddhism, 

• Stepping up ideological education.

• Restraining Tibet:

• Limiting the Dalai Lama's global outreach

• Constrain protests in Tibet, and change the demography of the region. 

• Rejuvenating Golden Urn process: For identifying the next Dalai Lama based on the state executive appointment.

• Maintaining the gap between India and Tibet: Beijing put pressure on New Delhi to limit formal interactions with the Dharamsala-based Central Tibetan Administration.

• Claiming Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet.

Challenges in front of China 

• Loyalties of ethnic Tibetans are not guaranteed: 

• Concerns about the external legitimacy of its annexation:

• No control over two major factors:

• Conduct of politics in Tibet.
• The existence of credible, legitimate spiritual and political leadership outside China's control

Role of India

• Ensure Religious and Political freedom: New Delhi should ensure that senior lamas of all sects of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Dalai and Karmapa, remain free to pursue their religion and politics.

• Next incarnation of the Dalai Lama: With India hosting the largest population of ethnic Tibetans outside their homeland, the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama may be from India.

• Reject the Golden Urn process:  Indian government must neither accept the legitimacy of the Golden Urn process nor Beijing's self-arrogated authority to recognize religious reincarnations.

Conclusion: New approach is needed: The time has come for India to review its approach towards Tibet.