By Dharmendra Rataul
Shimla, July 14 – With the thaw in the otherwise strained Sino-Indian relations following the visit of PM A.B. Vajpayee to Beijing last month, the Tibetan government-in-exile at Dharamsala has desired that the process of establishing direct contact with the Chinese authorities be pursued further.
The latest issue of Tibetan Bulletin, the official journal of the government says the Dalai Lama is not only ‘‘pleased’’ with the conclusion of second visit of his envoy in June but is ‘‘encouraged’’ by the perception of Chinese leadership for having a positive assessment of their recent move for direct contact.
The spiritual head of Tibetans envisages substantive negotiations with the Chinese authorities on the issue of Tibet, says the journal, adding that although the two delegations, sent by the Tibetan administration, were enough during the past one year, ‘‘yet things are looking up now because there exists a new leadership.’’
In a major change of perceptions, the Tibetan government-in-exile, after a gap of many years, re-established contact with China in September last year. The second delegation was sent on May 25 and returned on June 8. The visits followed by Vajpayee’s historic voyage to Beijing have been viewed as an attempt to initiate direct talks.
‘‘Both envoys had described their visit as confidence-building measures between the two sides which would pave the way for ‘‘negotiations without any pre-conditions’’, says the journal, quoting senior-most authorities. ‘‘The visits followed change of leadership of the Communist Party as well as in the Chinese Government and have given us an opportunity to engage extensively new Chinese leaders and officials responsible for Tibet,’’ reads the statement of special envoy Lodi Gyari, head of the delegation in the journal.
The Tibetan authorities had sent the missions with three objectives: To broaden overall understanding of the situation in China by visiting different areas and meeting officials; to meet Chinese Buddhist leaders and visit Buddhist holy sites, and above all, to visit Tibetan areas and meet Tibetan officials, says the journal’s main report.
