India plans to rename 30 places in Tibet in response to Arunachal provocation aimed at China
- In Reports
- 04:35 PM, Jun 11, 2024
- Myind Staff
India has launched a tit-for-tat naming strategy in response to China's renaming of locations in Arunachal Pradesh. According to a report in the Diplomat, New Delhi plans to rename approximately 30 places in China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
The newly-elected NDA government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, has authorised the renaming of 30 locations in Tibet, as reported. This move represents a robust response to China's recent naming activities. The names, rooted in historical research and connections to the Tibet region, will be officially documented by the Indian Army and incorporated into their maps along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The list comprises 11 residential areas, 12 mountains, four rivers, one lake, one mountain pass, and a piece of land, with names provided in Chinese characters, Tibetan, and pinyin. Since 2017, China has periodically issued lists of standardised names for places in Arunachal Pradesh. The latest list includes nearly as many new names as the previous three lists combined.
According to former Intelligence Bureau officer Benu Ghosh, as cited in the Diplomat, Prime Minister Modi aimed to leverage his strongman image during the recent elections, which likely prompted his decision to authorise the renaming of Tibetan places. Ghosh, who has extensively monitored China and its border issues with India for decades, highlighted that this move by India could potentially reopen the Tibetan question.
Ghosh further commented, "India has historically acknowledged Tibet as part of China since its forcible occupation by Beijing. However, the Modi government appears prepared to shift its stance to counter Chinese aggression in cartography and nomenclature," as reported by the Diplomat.
Since the onset of the eastern Ladakh border standoff on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Tso area, relations between India and China have remained strained, except in the realm of trade. To date, the two sides have engaged in 21 rounds of military talks aimed at resolving the standoff. India, under PM Modi's third term, is asserting its territorial claims by assigning its own names to locations in occupied Tibet.
India has consistently asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of the country, despite China’s repeated claims. The Ministry of External Affairs has emphasised that assigning "invented" names does not alter this reality. This strong stance from India comes amid global disapproval of China's expansionist policies, particularly in regions like the South China Sea.
Taking charge for the second time as Minister of External Affairs on June 11, S Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s robust position on issues concerning China and Pakistan. He underscored India's commitment to addressing both border issues with China and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.
"With regard to China, our focus will be on finding a resolution to the border issues, while with Pakistan, we aim to tackle the longstanding issue of cross-border terrorism," Jaishankar stated.
India has consistently rebuffed China's efforts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the state is an integral part of the country and that assigning "invented" names does not alter this reality.
Image source: Moneycontrol
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