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The streets of Itanagar witnessed rare anti-China protests on Friday, calling for the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to visit the Tawang monastery in the state.
The Dalai Lama's earlier visit in March this year was cancelled at the last moment and now with China reiterating its displeasure over the Dalai Lama's proposed November visit, there is apprehension that this visit may also be delayed.
But Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu has spoken in support of the Dalai Lama's visit. Just hours after leading his party to a convincing victory, the chief minister has asked the Centre not be come under Chinese pressure.
"Government of India has said clearly that the Dalai Lama can go anywhere. What China is claiming is meaningless and should be ignored. My request to government of India is that they should respond to China firmly and not come under pressure and not be scared of China," he said.
But the government of Arunachal Pradesh is yet to receive any official note on the visit.
"I haven't heard anything officially though," Dorjee said.
The Foreign Secretary has, however, clarified that the Dalai Lama can go to Tawang.
This is the not the first time that the Dalai Lama is visiting Arunachal Pradesh. He has visited other parts of the state as well including Tawang, but may be Dalai Lama's Tawang visit coinciding with the 50 years of Tibetan uprising is what is unsettling for China.
So, the question is - should India ignore the Chinese protest or sit down and resolve the differences over the border.
PM arrives in Thailand, to meet Wen:
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh flew in to the Thai beach resort Cha-Am Hua Hin on Friday for the ASEAN summit. He will hold crucial talks with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on Saturday against the backdrop of the war of words between the two neighbours over Arunachal Pradesh.
Though the two countries struck conciliatory notes recently, some provocative statements from China on Arunachal Pradesh had evoked a sharp reaction from New Delhi.
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