New Delhi: The government had issued a note earlier this year asking Indian government officials not to associate themselves with Tibetan functions marking 60 years of the Government-in-exile since the Indian government regarded these as “political” in nature and not in tune with the earlier Sino-Indian agreement of 1988, sources said on Tuesday.
Sources said the Tibetan functions to mark 60 years of the arrival of the Dalai Lama in India in 1959 and formation of the Tibetan government-in-exile was of a “political” nature and were "not religious or cultural" functions.
Sources said that as per an earlier Sino-Indian agreement of 1988 when the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made an official visit to China. It was apparently declared then that India would not allow any anti-China activities from Indian soil. It was also endorsed by India back then that Tibet is a part of China.
But foreign policy observers see the government's move earlier this year as one to reassure China that India respects Chinese sensitivities on Tibet.
