How a nervous China gears up aggressively on Dalai Lama – Firstpost

China is nervous.

Beijing has recently started a barrage of fire against the Dalai Lama; it has not happened for years on this scale. The attack seems to target the ‘foreign’ audience, as it was mainly posted in English by CGTN through a series of several articles and two videos (featuring a well-known Indian Communist).

But what is CGTN, or China Central Television (CCTV)? It is an English-language news channel under the control of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This explains many things.

On February 1, four articles appeared denouncing the Tibetan religious leader: “Unmasking the Dalai Lama: The root of darkness in old Xizang”.

Of course, it was also an occasion to ‘sell’ Tibet’s new name, Xizang. Beijing’s ‘friends’, like Pakistan and Nepal, have already started reporting about ‘Xizang’ and no more about Tibet or the Land of Snows.

“Xizang in the past: A grim picture” argues the article, adding, “Throughout history, there have been reactionary forces that attempted to halt the rolling wheels of history, and the 14th Dalai Lama is a notorious example. He is by no means the ‘messenger of peace’ that he paints himself to be, but the face of the institution that was responsible for the darkest period in Xizang in the past, also known as Tibet in the West.”

It raises the question: why demonise the Dalai Lama and India, who offered him asylum, at that point in time?

For a few years, Beijing seemed quite comfortable with the Dalai Lama’s Middle Path approach, which accepted that Tibet could be a part of China. But the issue is the past history. The Communist Party would like the Dalai Lama and his government-in-exile, known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), to admit that Tibet has been part of the Motherland since ‘immemorial times’. But historically, it is not the case.

The CGTN article can argue, “Before it was liberated in 1951, Xizang, a feudal society propped up by serfs, had a population of only 1 million. Yet this relatively small population had almost 200 noble families, officials, monks, and aristocrats who plundered all the resources, suppressing and oppressing Xizang people. In this distorted social structure, people were divided into different classes.” All this does not change the facts.

Old Tibet was perhaps not a perfect society, but which country was or is perfect (definitely not Communist China)?

However, there was a certain harmony and contentment in the society. Ironically, the Dalai Lama, even in his young age, has always been keen to introduce reforms and give the masses a voice; unfortunately, after China’s invasion of Tibet, it was systematically blocked by the Chinese generals ruling in Lhasa in the 1950s; he had to wait to be in exile to democratise the Tibetan society.

The CGTN mentions the Dalai Lama’s role in more than derogatory (and untrue) terms: “The Dalai Lama was the chief representative of old Xizang’s theocratic feudal serfdom. The interest group he represented upheld the corrupt feudal serf system, repressing social progress and preventing the serfs from gaining freedom as it would overturn their privileged status and undermine their vested interests. After the peaceful liberation of Xizang, when democratic reform started, bringing new hope to the vast number of serfs, the Dalai Lama clique launched an armed rebellion. But it failed, and he fled to India, where he has since been engaged in separatist activities.”

The Historical Facts

The truth is the opposite: the so-called ‘armed rebellion’ was a popular movement. Maj SL Chibber, the Consul General of India in Lhasa, was the only non-Tibetan witness of the March 1959 events, when the Dalai Lama had no choice but to leave his country and take refuge in India.

In June 1959, Chibber sent to the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi his “Report for the months of March, April, and May 1959,” available in the National Archives of India.

Chibber, the eyewitness, writes, “In the history of the movement for a free Tibet, the month of March, 1959, will be most historic, as during this month Tibetans high and low, in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, openly challenged the Chinese rule in Tibet. They set up an organisation called ‘Pho Mimang Ranchen Chi Chog’, meaning ‘Tibetan Peoples Independent Organisation’, renounced the Sino-Tibetan Agreement of 1951, staged demonstrations to give vent to their anti-Chinese feelings, and demanded withdrawal of the Chinese from Tibet.”

At no point in time were the people instigated by the Dalai Lama; on the contrary, the Tibetan leader was trying his best to find a modus vivendi with the Chinese generals to avoid bloodshed in the Land of Snows (the massacre of the Tibetan populace nonetheless took place at the end of the month of March 1959).

Chibber continues his narration: “But this challenge (the withdrawal of the Chinese), before the MIGHT OF CHINESE People’s Liberation Army, who on 20th March, 1959, started an all-out offensive against the ill-organised, ill-equipped, untrained Tibetans with artillery, mortars, machine guns, and all types of automatic weapons, was short-lived. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, smelling danger, left Lhasa secretly on the night of the 17th March, 1959, with important members of his personal staff, three Cabinet Ministers, and members of his family for the Lhoka area (south of Lhasa), where at that time Khampas had full sway and from where it was easier for him to escape to India if need arose. … The actual trouble started on the night of 19th March, 1959.”

The end result was that on March 28, China’s State Council (government) dissolved the ‘local’ Tibet government and transferred all its functions and powers to the Preparatory Committee for the Tibetan Autonomous Region, fully under the Chinese hold.

The CGTN propaganda blames the West: “He is supported by Western anti-China forces, lobbying and peddling absurd lies, attempting to discredit the Chinese government’s governance of Xizang and mislead international opinion. However, facts speak louder than words.”

The truth is that it was several weeks before the ‘Western’ governments were even aware of the happenings in the Tibetan capital; Tibet was then totally isolated.

The Main Question

To come back to the question: why this renewed aggressiveness now?

The first reason could be the forthcoming 90th birthday of the Tibetan leader. In 2011, in a long statement speaking about his succession and the return of the 15th Dalai Lama, he had announced that he would give details about his ‘return’ when he turns 90 years old.

Could the Dalai Lama have made a decision? Could he have found an ‘emanation’ in India? This is possible.

It was recently announced that the CTA has started preparing for the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebration on July 6, 2025, “with speculation surrounding the Dalai Lama addressing the issue of his succession during that time,” says ANI.

Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong (President) of the Tibetan government in exile, told ANI: “The Tibetan people worldwide have been urging the Dalai Lama to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama, citing its importance to both Tibetans and the broader world.”

The Tibetan leader noted, “Tibetan people all around the world have been writing to the Private Office (of the Dalai Lama), requesting His Holiness to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama, which is not only important for Tibetans but for the whole world through the ancient Indian wisdom and the messages that are embodied through His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” according to Tsering.

ANI rightly concluded, “The issue has gained much attention due to China’s interest in the reincarnation process for political reasons.”

China Nervous

All this, including the Sikyong’s trip on the northeastern border, is certainly rattling China. They may realise that the succession will soon be decided and they will not be a part of the process.

Also, the Dalai Lama’s stay at the Tashilhunpo monastery near Mysore has attracted thousands of devotees and shown that the health of the Tibetan leader was good, despite the problem with his knees (one was operated on in the US a few months ago) …And despite the lack of political support from the governments worldwide, his popularity remains formidable.

Another reason for Beijing’s frustration and anger is that the attack on India in May 2020 in Eastern Ladakh has shown Beijing’s military limits, while at the same time triggering a never-seen-before development of India’s northern borders (ie, the construction of new roads, providing better communications with telecom towers in remote areas, the adoption of the Vibrant Village Scheme for border settlements, and a general revitalisation of local faith, in particular Tibetan Buddhism in the Himalaya).

The last is taking place at a time when China is pushing for the ‘sinization’ of the same Buddhism (which is the opposite of the Buddha’s profound teachings). All these factors probably concur to make Beijing nervous; an insecure China can be an aggressive China. India needs to be watchful.

The writer is Distinguished Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (Delhi). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.