At least for five millennia, Tibet had been part of ancient Hindu tradition which began with Mahabharat. The name Tibet is derived from Trivishtappa, which means heaven. Mahabharat calls it Uttarkuru. Sanskrit literature contains innumerable linkages with the Tibetan way of life. It has never been a part of China. It was a buffer State between two great cultures: Chinese and Indian. According to Vaman Puran, it was Manas Lake, where Matsya avatar took place.

The present crisis in Tibet is not a small one. Tibetans have been fighting for independence for 49 years. It was led by Buddhist monks and was peaceful.

The exercise of crushing the fight with brutal force by Chinese expansionists is being described by them as 'combating the rebellion' wherein according to Western news agencies more than 80 persons have been killed and more than 72 peaceful demonstrators injured. An unspecified number of Buddhist monks have been arrested.

To hide these facts, China has stopped entry of foreign tourists, including journalists, into Tibet and jammed all electronic communication channels. Many countries, but not India, have condemned these brutal acts of China.

Chinese expansionism knows no limits. In its book A History of China published recently by the Chinese Government, Chinese territories seized by Imperialists in 1814 and 1919 shown in the map, include Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim and over 50,000 sq miles of territory in Ladakh and NEFA. It also includes independent countries, like Burma, Malaya, Thailand, North and South Vietnam, Cambodia and big chunks of the territories of Soviet Siberia, Mongolia and Soviet republics of Kazakhistan, Kergizea and Tajikistan.

All these are the so called lost territories of China which they are determined to get back. No rational mind can explain this hankering of modern-day China but it does explain what they have done in Tibet. After coming to power, within a year, Mao invaded Tibet on October 7, 1950 to "liberate" the people of Tibet and complete its unification with China.

Tibet relied on India, but Nehru was on his mission of buying peace. In a matter of a few months, the Chinese completed their task. Twelve lakh Tibetans were killed, 6000 monasteries, religious and cultural institutions destroyed.

In 1951 China signed a treaty with Tibet formalising the conquest. It meant evaporation of the buffer State between India and China. The Chinese have constructed a well-knit transport system along the Indian border. In the treaty, Tibet agreed to station troops on the borders touching India, Pakistan and Burma. Now more than five lakh troops are stationed here.

The border disputes between China and India figured prominently in their recent talks. Arunachal Padesh, particularly, is China's target. Why has all this happened? Solely, because of the naivety of Nehru who handled foreign affairs also.

Contrast it with the wisdom of Sardar Patel. In his letter dated November 11, 1950, Patel wrote to Nehru: "The tragedy of it is that the Tibetans put faith in us; they chose to be guided by us; and we have been unable to get them out of the meshes of Chinese diplomacy or Chinese malevolence. The expansion from the North and North-East, therefore, becomes both communist and imperialist.

"While our western north-western threat to security is still as prominent as before, a new threat has developed from the North and North-East. Thus, for the first time, after centuries, India's defence has to concentrate itself on two fronts simultaneously. Our defence measures have so far been based on the calculations of a superiority over Pakistan. In our calculations we shall now have to reckon with Communist China in the North and in the North-East, a Communist China which has definite ambitions and aims and which does not, in any way, seem friendly disposed towards us."

What happened afterwards, we all know. The debacle of Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai in NEFA and even last week's China's claim to the territory of Arunachal Pradesh is there for all to see.

If Tibet is suffering. India must share the blame for the simpleton approach of Nehru. Not only was Patel against Nehru's meek policy towards China but leaders like Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Prof NG Ranga, Minoo Masani and others warned Panditji against China's expansionist designs. Dr Mookerjee, in fact, proved prophetic when he said, "it is a fact that the boundary between India and Tibet is yet to be defined. China will do everything necessary to claim Indian territory, as per its maps."

Remember, India's first war of Independence, too, was called a rebellion. During the course of history, geography changes. The British Empire wilted. Who knows? Tomorrow an independent Tibet may become a reality.

After all, Israel is a reality today.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, March 30, 2008