Indian mythology is richly laden with scintillating stories of divinities protecting this land and numerous attributes of predominant manifestations of nature like mountains, rivers, lakes, streams, confluences etc. In particular, the Himalayas hold abiding religious and cultural significance for the people of India. All the rivers in Northern India originate from the Himalayan glaciers and provide perennial source of water for the sub-continent. Three mighty rivers of India, Brahmaputra, the Ganga and the Sindhu originate in the Himalayas and are the life line of one fourth population of the world. That is the main reason why ancient Indian saints, savants and spiritualists called the Himalayas a divine mountain. Steeped in faith and pursuing divine bliss, pilgrims from various parts of India inched their way up the mountain, many of them losing their lives and some finally arriving at the destination. For thousands of years this practice has been going on since search for the divine bliss is unending.
Mount Kailash strides along the eastern extension of the Himalayas and could be called part of traditional Tibetan territory. In olden days pilgrimages, travels and trade between India and Tibet was not subject to so many restrictions that are in place now. After the occupation of Tibet by Peoples Republic of China and the ouster of Dalai Lama relations between India and China soured. Beijing considered India giving shelter to the Tibetan refugees as an act of hostility whereas it did not understand the cultural and religious sentiments of the Indians for the friendly people of Tibet who used to accord them all facility for pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansrovar. With strained relations between the two countries China blocked the easy route which Indian pilgrims usually took for their pilgrimage to Mansrovar and Kailash. The olden route used by the Indian pilgrims now came under the control of Chinese with their occupation of Tibet and India could do nothing beyond just lodging a protest.
It is after six decades and more that China has relented in its stand on route to Mansrovar for the Indians. For some time in the past, behind the curtain efforts are going on between the two neighbouring giants to mend fence and return to normal relationship. During Congress Governments, not much headway could be made in restoring confidence between the two. But with a change in the Government in India, China thought it prudent to conduct business with Modi Government. On his visit to India soon after Narendra Modi took charge, he opened the issue of China opening the ancient route to Mansrovar during his talks with the Chinese President Xi Jinxing. The later responded favourably and said that China would consider it in near future. It seems that background parleys conducted by the two sides have succeeded at least in this case and Beijing has finally given its nod. In a rare gesture, Chinese President Xi received Sushma Swaraj, our Minister of External Affairs formally in his office in Beijing while on a visit a couple of days ago. It was in this meeting that she was told of Beijing’s decision to allow the Indian pilgrims to Mansrovar to use the Sikkim route as the Lipulekh Pass was badly damaged in the floods in Uttarakhand in 2013.
This could be a signal that Beijing is inclined to revisit its policy towards India. Talks for resolving border issue, an issue that has bedeviled relations between the two countries, are also going on at official level. Reportedly, the two sides are inching towards final solutions. Given the good will on both sides, it should be possible to unlock the logjam. Restoration of cordial and friendly relations between the two countries would mean considerably significant change in the strategic and political landscape not only in Asia but on global level as well. Cooperation and collaboration between the two giants of Asia, and their focusing on bilateral trade and commerce will usher in a new era for the entire world. They have resources, manpower, technology and they need to create commonality of perception of the future world. We endorse China’s vision of international relationship grounded in trade and commerce in which partners share the benefits and we also give equal importance to India’s commitment to panchsheel or five principles of peaceful co-existence.
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