Tibet issue: Nehru did what he thought was best for India, says Penpa Tsering

WASHINGTON, 29 Apr: Many people believe that India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru made a blunder when he recognised China’s sovereignty over Tibet but he did what he thought was best for his country, said the president of the Tibetan government in exile.
However, Central Tibetan Administration President Penpa Tsering told reporters here that he thinks India has changed its stance over the issue after 2014.
Tsering is here to meet top officials of the Biden administration and members of the US Congress.
Responding to a question, he said Nehru’s decisions over Tibet were due to his own world vision and he had “too much faith and confidence in China.”
“I don’t blame only Pandit Nehru for doing that. We understand that the national interest comes first for every nation and he did what he thought was best for India at that time,” Tsering said, adding that not only India but several other counties too conceded China’s sovereignty over Tibet.
“With the benefit of hindsight, now many think that Pandit Nehru made a blunder. In fact, he trusted China so much that when China invaded India in 1962, some believe that he was so hurt that it’s one of the reasons for his death,” he said.
However, Penpa Tsering told reporters that things changed in India since 2014.
“I think India has changed his policy by not repeating that Tibet is part of PRC (People’s Republic of China) because India’s position is that India has to abide by the one China policy, then China also has to abide by one India policy regarding Kashmir,” said Tsering.
Alluding to the Chinese aggression in Doklam and Galwan, he claimed, “When the Chinese foreign minister came (to India) a few months ago, it was more like a transit visit.”
“Nothing came out of that visit. That itself shows India’s policy towards Tibet and China,” he added. (PTI)