tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39426724410682743712012-01-26T06:36:44.470+05:30Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.comBlogger8591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-67100809081703975982012-01-26T06:08:00.002+05:302012-01-26T06:36:44.482+05:30

Though Beijing is trying hard to promote Buddhism abroad (particularly in Lumbini, Nepal or in Nalanda), the leadership in Beijing does not seem aware of the Words of the Buddha: "As the wise test gold by burning, cutting and rubbing it on a piece of touchstone, so are you to accept my words only after examining them and not merely out of regard for me." On the contrary, Beijing is trying to

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-22965460167400553052012-01-24T07:04:00.000+05:302012-01-24T07:12:14.643+05:30

While the Chinese propaganda pretends that the Tibetan are more and more fond of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), the repression continues on the Roof of the World. According to the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy:  "One Tibetan layman, identified as Yonten, has died of gunshot after security officials clamped down on a protest in Drango County in Kandze Tibetan Autonomous

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-54152768105795311322012-01-23T05:53:00.001+05:302012-01-23T05:53:46.144+05:30

On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, I am posting a text from Murong Xuecun. Murong is the pen name of a Chinese author Hao Qun. His first work, Chengdu, Leave Me Alone Tonight has been read by millions of Chinese people on Internet. On July 22, 2008, Murong made it to the long list for the Man Asian Literary Prize.  Muring's microblog has more than 1 million followers. The conclusions of

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-69518240094909631822012-01-22T17:11:00.003+05:302012-01-22T17:11:25.480+05:30

This article based on the "Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program" prepared by the International Relations Program of the University of Pennsylvania shows that no Indian think tank is able to make it amongst the top 30 of the world. But are the results of the US University reliable? The Americans have taken the habit to note themselves and everybody else. They usually top the list. Ditto

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-14534139005241581172012-01-19T10:43:00.001+05:302012-01-19T10:43:57.544+05:30

WE ARE HUMAN from Lhaksam on Vimeo. According to Louise Watt of the Associated Press: "Dozens of Tibetans, including monks, held up a portrait of the Dalai Lama in a community in southwestern China in an act of defiance days after other Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule." She quoted a unnamed Chinese official of Seda County's Public Security Bureau in Sichuan province:

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-60081012426552233082012-01-18T10:50:00.000+05:302012-01-23T05:24:33.424+05:30

Don’t you think that what makes humans different from other living beings is their faculty to dream. More than 2500 years ago, the Buddha spoke of’ ‘dukh’, our human’s self -inflicted suffering. I sometimes wonder what the Buddha would have thought of the present-day ‘dukh’; everything seems to have got worse: we are living in a world full of pollution, corruption, social inequality, violence,

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-51698874703804990072012-01-16T15:18:00.000+05:302012-01-18T10:49:58.113+05:30

The Special Representatives of India and China have began their 15th Round of talks on the border issues. The discussions were postponed when Beijing objected to the participation of the Dalai Lama in the Global Buddhist Congregation in December.Shiv Shankar Menon, India's National Security Adviser, and Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo are leading the two delegations. This round should

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-15316544577195983802012-01-15T08:57:00.000+05:302012-01-16T15:19:21.335+05:30

Better not answer this question if you want to become President of the United States of America! One often criticizes the poor intellectual level of certain Indian politicians, but what about their American counterparts? (An American friend tells me 'only the Republicans are like that').  I still believe that they all have a lot to learn from the country of Descartes (Cogito ergo sum, I think,

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-80341945125644587492012-01-14T07:34:00.002+05:302012-01-14T08:21:20.507+05:30

This article of Emily-Anne Owen quotes me.  It has not often been mentioned in the media, but most of the 'immolations' and  unrest occurred outside 'official' Tibet (the so-called Tibetan Autonomous Region - TAR).  Though one can only regret of the spate of immolation, these extreme acts by Tibetan monks and nuns have redefined the map of Tibet. Till 2008, the Chinese leadership did not want

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-15915178143293777922012-01-12T07:08:00.001+05:302012-01-12T07:08:34.224+05:30

My interview of Dapon Ratuk Ngawang has been published in Rediff.com under the title: The Tibetans who fought the 1971 war.  Click here to read

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-17376901928335540102012-01-10T08:04:00.000+05:302012-01-10T08:04:14.903+05:30

It is said that there were 1600 Chinese spies amongst the Tibetans and Chinese who traveled to Bodh Gaya for the Kalachakra Puja (though this article speaks of 1000 to 1500). Watching this video, it is difficult to tell who are the 'spies'. Hopefully, many of them will be converted by the kind words of the Dalai Lama. It still remains a serious security issue. Why the Chinese have allowed 8000

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-9345768793050300322012-01-08T08:11:00.002+05:302012-01-08T08:11:32.309+05:30

No comment! Except an advice, avoid eating cat soup! In China, cat soup to die for?In China police say a business tycoon died when he ate a dish of prized cat soup. The soup was poisoned. Christian Science MonitorPeter Ford, Staff writerJanuary 6, 2012 BeijingServes him right, you might think, for tucking into Mittens.Police in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong say that local

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-9475776084263100702012-01-07T14:01:00.001+05:302012-01-07T14:04:56.403+05:30

Ziminthang (or Zemithang) is certainly one of the most strategic locations of the planet. It is here that 50 years ago, the Chinese troops entered the Indian territory.  The Pangchen group of villages belongs to India while the Lebu villages are on the Tibetan side. The Thagla ridge divides the two side. The cranes do not seem bothered by the Sino-Indian dispute. Rare black-necked cranes

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-48345222597242368212012-01-07T13:45:00.004+05:302012-01-07T13:45:49.951+05:30

My article Oh, Indian Youth, aren't you outraged yet? appeared yesterday in the DNA. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-30486074712631712302012-01-04T08:03:00.001+05:302012-01-04T08:03:24.276+05:30

To deal with the growing unrest in China, the  Government in Beijing has found the solution: to install more and more surveillance cameras. The only question is: will it make people happier, will the society be more harmonious and the country more stable? We may soon have the answer to these questions. Wuhan Installed a Quarter Million Monitoring Cameras Chinascope January3, 2012People’s

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-86918494951695795452012-01-03T17:30:00.002+05:302012-01-03T17:30:48.662+05:30

Recently the Chinese have used people like Neville Maxwell to renew their claim on Tawang area. In a paper (Whose Tawang? A Dispute Within the Sino-Indian Boundary Dispute) published in China, Maxwell, the author of  India’s China War expounds the Chinese line. However, he forgets to deal on the 'legality' of the McMahon L:ine, which was a valid agreement signed in 1914 between the Government

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-67041150743807329812012-01-02T08:09:00.003+05:302012-01-02T08:09:19.236+05:30

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-81735885976982378992011-12-29T13:14:00.000+05:302011-12-29T13:14:02.889+05:30

My article Will 1962 repeat itself? India Should Be Watchful appeared in The Statesman. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-4920441900741029312011-12-28T21:16:00.000+05:302011-12-29T13:05:28.402+05:30

The Tibetan participation in the 1971 Operations Dapon Ratuk Ngawang was one of the senior leaders of the Voluntary Freedom Fighter Force in Tibet, a Tibetan guerrilla outfit which fought against Chinese rule and played a key role in the Dalai Lama’s escape to India in March 1959. After the 1962 Sino-Indian border war, Ratuk Ngawang commanded the Tibetan secret regiment, known as the Special

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-77606542503325146502011-12-27T10:42:00.001+05:302011-12-27T10:47:37.761+05:30

Very few in India have heard of Stéphane Hessel, though the 94-year old former diplomat and Buchenwald concentration camp survivor has been selected as the Man of the Year by a serious survey in France. Born in Germany from Jewish parents, Hessel was a naturalized French citizen in 1939; two years later, he joined General de Gaulle in London and entered the French Resistance. Back in France,

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-80308884974149641042011-12-27T07:37:00.000+05:302011-12-27T10:51:44.842+05:30

My book review of Waiting for the Dalai Lama appeared in The Pioneer on Sunday. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-74943296103826320072011-12-25T09:28:00.001+05:302012-01-23T06:29:01.075+05:30

An Interview with Mr Nicolas Forissier, Member of the French Parliament and President of the French Parliamentary Group for Friendship with India. CA: Mr. Deputy: Could you first tell us what is the purpose of a Friendship Group, like the Indo-French Group in the National Assembly (Lower House of the French Parliament)? Do you have a counterpart in the Lok Sabha? NF: Yes, we do. In France,

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-51291199669314130222011-12-23T04:48:00.001+05:302011-12-23T04:59:45.812+05:30

The rumor was so persistent that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to reassure the Lok Sabha “Our government does not share the view that China plans to attack India,” adding that India’s borders with China “by and large remain peaceful”. In recent weeks, several senior analysts have predicted a repeat of the 1962 conflict between India and China. The most prominent is Brahma Chellaney of the

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-62295082060172392822011-12-22T15:41:00.001+05:302011-12-23T04:45:20.316+05:30

Receiving his MVC from the President of India My article on Colonel Chewang Rinchen is posted on Rediff.com. Major Chewang Rinchen became the youngest recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). He not only seized the highest post ever captured, but also liberated an area of 800 sq km from Pak occupied Kashmir, the largest area captured in the 1971 war with hardly any supplies and no artillery

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-59288202080351720872011-12-22T06:57:00.001+05:302011-12-22T07:09:11.817+05:30

Though the last round of the Special Representatives of India and China on the border issue was postponed by Beijing on the lame pretext that the Dalai Lama was to address the Global Buddhist Conference in Delhi, the fact remains that the intricacies of the border issue are generally not well understood in India (and in China, I presume ).  To get a better understanding, one can read the 1960

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-27578915478270451072011-12-20T11:42:00.001+05:302011-12-20T11:42:50.199+05:30

Mr. Zhu Weiqun, the Executive Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee who has been negotiating with the Dalai Lama's Envoys says that the Party and its officials should not believe in Religion. This is good news.  In the past the Party has often interfered with the management of the monasteries and the selection of the reincarnated Lamas in Tibet. The

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-82406617221714433952011-12-19T06:55:00.000+05:302011-12-19T06:57:11.303+05:30

The Chinese Communist Party lives in another world or in another time. The ideologues still dreams of a Great Socialist Revolution. They quote Comrade Mao: "the leadership’s control of thought is the most important leadership control." The author of this article translated by Chinascope tells us: "Our Party has attached great importance to strengthening its position as the sole leader in the

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-18951278588932730582011-12-17T07:38:00.003+05:302011-12-17T07:42:14.151+05:30

While more and more 'serious' analysts have begun predicting that China will soon be the Number 1 Super Economic Power of the planet, turmoil and unrest are increasing by the day in the Middle Kingdom. The repression is often ferocious as we can see from this video which has recently emerged on YouTube. It was shot during the months of March/April 2008, near Sera Monastery in the outskirts of

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-79582270509074382062011-12-16T10:43:00.001+05:302011-12-16T10:45:52.892+05:30

One usually believes that China is a powerful nation with a breathtaking development rate and that the Chinese people suffer from a superiority complex. It is partially true. In a recent editorial in Xinhua, Li Hongmei made fun of India which, he said “needs to, first and foremost, break through its own psychological fence." India has an inferiority complex, explained Li: “India's jealousy

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-28296333397237559252011-12-15T06:57:00.002+05:302011-12-16T10:45:08.126+05:30

Mr. A.K. Antony, the Indian Defence Minister stated in the Parliament that "though no infiltration has taken place across the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, there have been instances of a few Tibetan herb collectors inadvertently crossing over into Indian territory in the last two years." This reminded me of my interview with Kiren Rijiju, then Member of Parliament representing Arunachal

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-89852532813207544662011-12-14T07:40:00.000+05:302011-12-14T10:38:46.016+05:30

The Telegraph article posted below quotes Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao telling a group of students how his family was "constantly persecuted during the darkest years of Chairman Mao's rule".  The Telegraph said that it may be "a warning to the hardline faction within the Communist party not to repeat the mistakes of history". Another  leader who must have suffered a great deal during his youth

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-33036092484176538342011-12-11T11:39:00.001+05:302011-12-12T05:40:58.564+05:30

Five years ago, I wrote this article '1971 War: How the US tried to corner India'. It appeared in Rediff.com on December 26, 2006. "India won a glorious victory against Pakistan in the 1971 war. It was the first decisive victory in a major war in centuries. And it was won singlehandedly, in the face of opposition and threats from a majority of the UN member-States, including a superpower.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-34299659017998919652011-12-11T06:29:00.001+05:302011-12-11T11:33:37.167+05:30

Forty years ago, the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy liberated Bangladesh. But the Liberation War was not just a military operation, it was truly a People's War. Number of artists, intellectuals, politicians and others participated in their own way in the liberation of East Pakistan from the joke of the Pakistani tyrants. George Harrison organized the famous Concert for Bangladesh with the

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-27939984396879457812011-12-10T07:23:00.001+05:302011-12-10T10:44:18.406+05:30

At the Sera monastery Worshiping the Dalai Lama The translation of this post on Tsering Woeser's blog proves the seriousness of the situation in Tibet, more particularly in Lhasa. The Chinese authorities have to paint a mustache to the present Dalai Lama to avoid that the Tibetans recognize him.  Tibetans are not fooled by the subterfuge.  These photos have been taken in Sera monastery at

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-58033834581224038762011-12-09T15:46:00.001+05:302011-12-11T08:02:18.759+05:30

My article on the first Indian nuclear test appeared in today's edition of The Pioneer. Recently declassified American documents explain how India caught the US by surprise on May 18, 1974 when it conducted its first nuclear test. It is perhaps a coincidence, but as India celebrates the 40th anniversary of the most resounding victory of its Armed Forces, America’s National Security Archive

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-33990932955888766292011-12-09T06:25:00.001+05:302011-12-09T15:58:28.806+05:30

My article on tunnels in China "What the Great Underground Wall of China means for India" appeared yesterday in The DNA. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-47157054836788258252011-12-08T14:40:00.001+05:302011-12-11T08:02:31.477+05:30

Here is the second part of my interview with Major General Ian Cardozo who was a young major in the 5 Gorkha Rifles in the 1971 war with Pakistan. In a swift military offensive, India defeated Pakistan within 13 days, liberated a region and led to the creation of Bangladesh. In the war, the then Major Cardozo stepped on a landmine and had to cut off his badly wounded leg with his own khukri.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-30518793688845256592011-12-08T05:12:00.001+05:302011-12-11T08:02:41.620+05:30

My interview of Maj Gen Ian Cardozo is posted in Rediff.com under the title 1971, A War Hero Remembers. In the second part of the interview, General Cardozo will tell us how after he walked on a mine, he amputated himself with his khukri. On December 3, 1971, Pakistan attacked several Indian Air Force stations in the West. At midnight, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in a broadcast to

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-8438762919059215632011-12-07T06:34:00.001+05:302011-12-07T06:56:28.506+05:30

In November, 2001, Craig’s Smith wrote an article in The New Times entitled Mao's Buried Past: A Strange, Subterranean City. Smith described `a network of 10-to-15-feet wide tunnels in Beijing. While Communist China was getting closer to Washington in the early 1970’s, Mao ordered the construction of a 500-bed underground hospital, a 1,000-seat movie theater, classrooms, granaries, a

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-78796650676867408682011-12-06T05:52:00.001+05:302011-12-11T08:03:03.172+05:30

Site of India's first atomic reactor in Trombay This series of documents on the 1974 Nuclear Test in Rajasthan published by the National Security Archive comes at the time when India is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War. As briefly mentioned in the introduction to the documents, the two events are deeply linked. It is after Indira Gandhi realized that she was

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-41513895635940146032011-12-05T07:01:00.001+05:302011-12-05T07:27:49.857+05:30

Armed Police in Tibet It is not only Tibet which has witnessed unrest in the recent weeks. The Financial Times mentions: "Beijing has underlined its concern that an economic slowdown could lead to social unrest in China, with the country’s security chief urging local officials to do more to prepare for the 'negative effects of the market economy'." It quotes Zhou Yongkang, a member of the

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-24753558990876496802011-12-04T06:18:00.001+05:302011-12-04T10:48:43.040+05:30

Planting trees at Nehru Park There was no harm in trying its luck; in any case, it did not cost China much and the ploy worked partially. As the preparations for the Global Buddhist Congregation (GBC), organized by the Ashoka Mission with a projected attendance by some 900 monks and nuns from over 40 countries between November 27 and 30 were going on in Delhi, Beijing suddenly objected to

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-48938602016901822002011-12-03T16:13:00.001+05:302011-12-11T08:03:19.580+05:30

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw talking to the troops Swift and Secure  Reflections on the Bangladesh war by the Chief Signal Officer (Eastern Command)The advent of the telegraph has been a major evolutionary step in communication which greatly changes the perspectives and possibilities of the Defence Forces. A hundred years ago, on 15 February 1911, the Corps of Signals was formed as a separate

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-89136446315717954452011-12-03T06:46:00.001+05:302011-12-05T07:57:26.469+05:30

This article of The Washington Post speaks of "thousands of miles of tunnels dug by the Second Artillery Corps, a secretive branch of the Chinese military in charge of protecting and deploying its ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads." Whether the  conclusions of Phillip A. Karber, the professor of Georgetown University is correct or not, the fact remains that these tunnels exist. Three

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-87425928490563354252011-11-30T06:09:00.001+05:302011-11-30T06:44:39.742+05:30

The Chinese newspaper The Global Times wrote: "China and India mustn't go for the throat". It further said: "Currently, India is a bit pushy in its relations with China. The country appears to be highly interested in facing off with China. But that contest is not the primary focus of the Chinese society." Why is India pushy?  It seems that it is just because India is  hosting a Global

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-66424906972815625182011-11-27T06:57:00.001+05:302011-11-27T07:02:01.817+05:30

Rediff Special November 25, 2011 The problem is that nations or states are always ready to 'share' water with others living upstream, but their perception changes when the question comes to 'sharing' with lower riparians, says Claude Arpi after attending a 3-day conference in New Delhi on conflict resolution in the faceoff over water The ban on the release of a new movie in Tamil Nadu made

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-55005101947085140842011-11-26T14:39:00.001+05:302011-11-26T16:30:13.256+05:30

A great Lady has left us. She always fought for Freedom.  Against the Nazis, when she was young and later for many other worthy causes. Once when her husband was President, he was not keen to receive the Dalai Lama, as it would upset the Chinese.  She decided to invite him for breakfast at their private residence. The President had no choice to sit at the Dalai Lama's table. The world needs

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-44909343944639097832011-11-25T07:30:00.001+05:302011-11-25T08:23:01.411+05:30

This Xinhua article is important because it is published in the main stream 'official' press.  The hard-hitting commentary probably reflects the view of many in the Party. Li Hongmei, the analyst says: "In a nutshell, to grow up to be a real power and stand as a sound competitor, India needs to, first and foremost, break through its own psychological fence." One could, of course, speak of

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-92102898020490698272011-11-24T07:04:00.001+05:302011-11-24T11:25:25.560+05:30

A great International Conference on River Waters Perspectives and Challenges for India was held in Delhi between November 18 and 20 at the India International Center in New Delhi.  It was organized by the Foundation for Non-violent Alternatives (FNVA). Nobody can today doubt that 'Water' will be the next source of conflict within Nation-States or between neighouring States. The Conference

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-22204605006319998252011-11-23T06:08:00.001+05:302011-12-23T07:30:17.309+05:30

A fascinating interview, exclusively for Rediff.com. Click here to read Why Arunachal is an 'undiscovered gold mine' November 16, 2011 It is not well known that Arunachal Pradesh, which attained statehood in February 1987, is one of the fastest developing states of India.Though the state went through few weeks of instability after the untimely death of former chief minister Dorjee Khandu in a

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-58740300578357185932011-11-15T06:24:00.001+05:302011-11-15T06:47:59.808+05:30

The Indian Communists are scratching their heads: is the People's Republic of China a Communist State? Is the Chinese Communist Party communist or capitalist? This is  valid question. The problem of the Indian Communists is that they don't read the Chinese press, they could find an answer. On November 7, 2011, Study Times, a journal of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CCP,

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-67415323629862129902011-11-12T06:54:00.001+05:302011-11-12T07:19:11.200+05:30

The conclusion of this article of The People's Daily (reproduced on China Military Online) is worth studying: "deploying 100,000 more soldiers along the border areas with China is more of a political move than a military one. After taking necessary precautions, China just needs to continue to develop friendly relations with neighboring countries and adhere to its established security

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-53457967903285659762011-11-11T07:05:00.001+05:302011-11-11T07:28:30.484+05:30

The Tibetan flag has again created a controversy. This time, it has not come from China, but from the Indian Censor Board. A couple of years ago, I wrote an article on an interesting story about the Tibetan flag.  It is reproduced below:  Reuters recently published a fascinating piece of information. Phuntso Wangye, a veteran Tibetan Party leader would have written a series of three letters

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-91896395638815826372011-11-11T06:49:00.001+05:302011-11-11T06:55:41.582+05:30

My article Cruel overlord called China appeared in The Pioneer. Click here to read. The West is silent over rights violations in Tibet because it hopes China will bail out Eurozone. Meanwhile, Amartya Sen goes to Beijing with a begging bowl. A similar piece appeared in The Statesman. The title was Two different worlds. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-30643588318320666242011-11-10T06:33:00.003+05:302011-11-10T06:33:38.383+05:30

Some books come at the right time on the shelves; it is the case of “In the Shadow of the Buddha” (one Man’s Journey of Spiritual and Political Danger in Tibet) written by author and spiritual seeker Matteo Pistono.For the past few weeks, Tibetan activists have been in the news trying to bring the horrifying self-immolations of Tibetans monks and nuns to the attention of the world leaders.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-23606391937202910492011-11-08T06:41:00.000+05:302011-11-09T08:18:56.200+05:30

We lived in a strange world. On one side, we have ‘great leaders’ taking ‘vital’ decisions for our future at the G20 Summit in Cannes on the French Riviera, while on the other side ordinary people (known as the ‘common man’ in Indian political parlance) struggle with their miseries and their aspirations. In today’s world, there is no connection between the two. While the ordinary man cannot

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-18639341737735137262011-11-08T06:28:00.000+05:302011-11-08T06:28:27.560+05:30

My article Why China is unlikely to attack India now is posted on Sify.com. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-44430733156930829132011-11-07T06:54:00.002+05:302011-11-07T06:56:06.020+05:30

This article of The Hindu Business Line is quoting me, the author has however forgotten my conclusion: "If China wants again to ‘teach a lesson’ to India, it will be a Himalayan task, and in the process, the PLA may get a ‘bloody nose’, as they say in the Army." On the last day of the G20 Meet in Cannes on the French Riviera, President Sarkozy had a one-to-one dinner with only one of his 19

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-52634108910183656662011-11-05T06:05:00.000+05:302011-11-05T10:50:27.345+05:30

In recent weeks, several senior analysts have predicted a repeat of the 1962 conflict between India and China. The most prominent is Brahma Chellaney of the Centre for Policy Research who wrote in India Today: “As the 50th anniversary of China’s invasion approaches, history is in danger of repeating itself, with Chinese military pressures and aggressive designs against India not only

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-26445466955678243522011-11-02T08:20:00.001+05:302011-11-02T08:20:50.858+05:30

UNESCO was given full Membership to the Palestinians.  But what about the Tibetans? Don't they have a separate culture? A separate language? A script? A unique religion? A long history with ups and downs? I remember my old friend Claude Levenson telling me: "We should do something to get Tibet as a Member of UNESCO". I think it was the last time that we met.  What can be done? I don't know.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-82708552495428007562011-11-01T07:49:00.000+05:302011-11-01T08:01:15.778+05:30

During my recent visit to Tawang, a suspended bridge collapsed. It has now happened again in the neighbouring district of East Kameng (see news item at the end).  In Tawang, six ladies lost their lives and only one body was recovered from the Tawang Chu. The engineer responsible for the construction of the bridge was eventually suspended. A similar tragedy has happening again, this time of

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-79933184676377289652011-10-30T16:44:00.001+05:302011-10-30T16:44:41.234+05:30

My article on Tawang appeared today in the Sunday Magazine of The Pioneer. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-6268549119741046232011-10-28T07:04:00.000+05:302011-10-28T07:04:25.193+05:30

My article on 1962 War was published yesterday in the DNA under the title Why 1962 will not be repeated. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-8635561212349328722011-10-27T06:40:00.001+05:302011-10-27T06:40:52.860+05:30

On October 20, very few in India remembered that 49 years ago, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army massively attacked India. The brunt of the aggression occurred in Tawang district. Since then, the names, Thagla ridge and the Namkha Chu have become synonymous with defeat, humiliation and shame. The Wiseman will say: ‘past is past’; but the question remains, could the debacle be repeated? In

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-85978497237271836512011-10-24T07:08:00.003+05:302011-10-24T07:11:31.327+05:30

‘Lama Geno’, in Monpa language could be translated as ‘The Lama knows’, or more freely, ‘here we are’. It is what Tsangyang Gyaltso, the young Sixth Dalai Lama, wrote in 1688 with his finger on a stone in Urgyeling, a village south of Tawang, the headquarters of the western-most district of Arunachal Pradesh. A high delegation had just arrived from Lhasa looking for the reincarnation of the

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-16528348009000884522011-10-23T10:55:00.000+05:302011-10-23T10:55:14.223+05:30

My article Politics over reincarnation appeared in The Pioneer on October 19. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-36759090999977792542011-10-21T07:04:00.000+05:302011-10-21T07:04:17.969+05:30

In Philadelphia, a group of American and British lawyers debated the legality of America's Declaration of Independence. If one follows the American argument, Tibet is also an independent nation. Read the Tibetan Declaration of Independence and the BBC article and decide. The only difference, as the Thirteenth Dalai Lama often said, is that there are big insects and small insects. Nobody

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-4486853487623550002011-10-20T07:25:00.004+05:302011-10-20T08:04:20.735+05:30

Forty-nine years ago, the Chinese attacked India on the slopes of the Thagla ridge in NEFA. It has remained a scar in the Indian psyche while the Chinese have come and gone and forgotten about it. But they themselves have a deep scar, that is the Tibetan uprising of March 1959 and the subsequent flight of the Dalai Lama to India (through Khenzimane at the bottom of the same Thagla ridge).

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-9193386135582285872011-10-18T06:57:00.000+05:302011-10-18T06:57:22.693+05:30

Monks and nuns in Eastern Tibet are immolating themselves. They do this because they are desperate.  It is tragic. After the unrest of March/April 2008, a Chinese scholar Zhang Boshu wrote an essay "The Way to Resolve the Tibet Issue". Born in Beijing in 1955, Zhang Boshu received an MA in economics from Zhongguo Renmin Daxue in 1982 and in 1985 passed the entrance examination for the

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-65298315675438916292011-10-16T18:23:00.001+05:302011-10-16T18:23:27.333+05:30

Do you believe in reincarnation? In Beijing, the Marxists do.The Dalai Lama had to recently issue a statement to explain to the Chinese leadership (and the general public) the meaning of ‘reincarnation’ in Tibetan Buddhism.This should have set aside the CCP pretention of being able to decide about the wanderings of a Lama after his death and the location of his return.It has not. Li Decheng,

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-49200773219467061902011-10-15T06:55:00.000+05:302011-10-15T06:56:36.281+05:30

This document confirms that Tibet was an independent nation in 1949. Interestingly, many historians questioned why did Lhasa not request Nepal for military help in October 1950 when the PLA's Second Army entered Chamdo, in Eastern Tibet. An extraordinary coincidence occurred, on October 7, 19050, the day the Chinese forces crossed the Yangtze to advance towards Chamdo, there was a coup in

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-65323510854948823242011-10-14T11:39:00.000+05:302011-12-19T11:57:56.409+05:30

My article on dams in the Northeast A tragedy to come — Development Must Respect Nature has been published in The Statesman. Click here to read.

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-73852446057260885652011-10-14T06:42:00.000+05:302011-10-20T07:29:54.289+05:30

"Considering the technical difficulties, the actual need of diversion and the possible impact on the environment and state-to-state relations, the Chinese government has no plan to conduct any diversification project in this river," thus spoke the Chinese Vice-Minister for the  Water Resources. Good, it is a reiteration of the declarations of his predecessor in November 2006. Though it is

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-82108321727243899352011-10-13T06:48:00.000+05:302011-10-13T06:48:18.388+05:30

  Yesterday I mentioned the Dalai Lama Statement on reincarnation.  I found an old article that I had written on the subject of the Panchen Lama's reincarnation in 1995 for Blitz magazine. It shows again that the Chinese are planning their moves well in advance, though their justifications are as lame today as they were yesterday. How can an atheist Government be knowledgeable about something

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-4516112781536072542011-10-12T05:27:00.000+05:302011-10-12T05:27:04.212+05:30

During my 'French leave', an important  statement was issued by the Dalai Lama on the subject of reincarnation (and particular about his own).  It should set aside the pretensions of the Communist Party of China to be able to decide about the wanderings of a Lama after his death and the location of his return. The Dalai Lama used the occasion of the 11th high-level conference (the first one

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-81641502185374531972011-09-25T04:49:00.003+05:302011-09-25T04:49:53.413+05:30

My book review Changing Face of the Red Army appeared in today's Sunday Edition of the The Pioneer. Monika Chansoria’s book tracks the transformation of the People’s Liberation Army from a small Chinese Communist Party organ to a guerrilla force, comprising workers and peasants, to a tri-service military force, writes Claude Arpi  China: Military Modernisation and StrategyAuthor: Monika

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-75431707844683483932011-09-23T06:52:00.000+05:302011-09-23T06:52:16.383+05:30

A tragedy has struck the Himalayan belt.An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, centered around the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in Sikkim, near the border of Nepal, occurred on September 18 in the late afternoon.The tremors were felt across the entire North-East. More than a hundred people are feared dead, mainly in the East Sikkim district, but also in Chungthang area of north

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-63426959713719264672011-09-22T06:41:00.002+05:302011-09-22T06:45:57.683+05:30

This article in Chinadialogue.com reports  on a Water Seminar recently held in China on the Water Diversion of the Brahmaputra. What is surprising is that Wang Guangqian, a scholar at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the most 'serious', if not 'scientific', proponent of the project was not invited (did not want to participate).  A few months ago, Wang made a new proposal to divert waters

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-80954659260355868842011-09-21T06:03:00.000+05:302011-09-21T06:17:05.533+05:30

My article The dangerous game of perceptional border intrusion appeared in yesterday's edition of DNA. September 20, 2011 News agencies reported that Chinese troops recently entered into Indian territory and destroyed bunkers in Chumar division of Nyoma tashil, some 300 km south of Leh, the capital of Ladakh. A few days later, the situation seemed rather confused: while some reports said

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-17394068913710295142011-09-20T07:16:00.000+05:302011-09-20T07:16:34.451+05:30

Ms. Dai Qingli, the Press Counsellor in the Chinese Embassy in London wrote to The Financial Time to object to an article by Brahma Chellaney (“Water is the new weapon in Beijing’s armoury”) published in the same newspaper. She wrote: "Even though the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses has not come into effect, China has

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-70045238198594432532011-09-19T07:29:00.000+05:302011-09-19T07:29:06.601+05:30

This excellent article published in the China Brief of the Jamestown Foundation demonstrates the seriousness of the law and order situation in China. Beijing is setting up more and more 'extrajudicial' structures to take care of the growing restlessness of the masses. It was recently reported that the Chinese government was contemplating making changes in its criminal code in order to

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-30093663557406965062011-09-17T07:00:00.004+05:302011-09-17T10:47:37.853+05:30

This article of Reuters says: "About 8 percent of the investment will be used to foster the development of indigenous industries, including tourism, mining, agriculture and stock-breeding". Is mining really an 'indigenous industry'?  No, it is it purely to feed the voracious economic engine of the mainland. Gold, uranium, copper, rare earths, etc. will all be exported to China, to feed

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-37014134279997702762011-09-16T05:28:00.001+05:302011-09-16T06:21:31.618+05:30

My article Peace, says the Dragon appeared in today's Edit Page of The Pioneer. In a recent White Paper, Beijing explains its policy of development through peace even as China flaunts its military might to seize control of South China Sea! Great news! China has confirmed that it will remain a peaceful nation! The Information Office of the State Council (Chinese Cabinet) recently published

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-9926196299518821412011-09-15T12:04:00.000+05:302011-09-15T12:04:22.770+05:30

The Yarlung Tsangpo The Yarlung Tsangpo or Brahmaputra as it is known in India, has an immense bearing on the lives of hundreds of millions in the sub-continent. Originating from a glacier near Mt Kailash, it is one of the longest rivers on the Tibetan plateau. It is considered to be the highest river on earth with an average altitude of 4,000 meters. It runs 2,057 kilometers in Tibet before

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-84149861715795130042011-09-13T06:16:00.000+05:302011-09-13T10:32:47.564+05:30

My Himachal reported that the Dalai Lama mentioned his encounter with Mao Zedong in 1954 in Beijing and the story of the Tibetan flag. A few years back, I wrote an article, Flag and nationalities on the issue.The recent unrest in Tibet has generated a healthy debate in India. Some sections of the Indian society like the Kashmiri Pandits now view their plight through the Tibetan prism (the

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-20337115411567932762011-09-12T07:17:00.000+05:302011-09-12T07:17:26.348+05:30

In my last posting, I mentioned about the Chinese inroads in Nepal. This article of The Asia Sentinel shows that to protect the dual oil and gas pipeline (running more than 800 km in Burma and crossing the entire country),the military regime has already deployed some 6000 soldiers in 33 battalions. The natural gas will be pumped from the offshore Shwe gas fields while the oil will be

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-1043979142684384382011-09-05T07:49:00.001+05:302011-09-05T07:49:44.234+05:30

"West Seti was originally designed as an export-oriented with 90 percent of the power to be exported to India", says this article on the ekantipur.com website. Will it remain so, if the project is entirely  financed by China? It is doubtful. Before his arrival in Kathmandu, Zhou Yongkang, the Politburo Standing Committee member of Chinese Communist Party had promised a 'special gift' for

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-81042065714001911052011-09-04T16:31:00.000+05:302011-09-04T16:35:20.671+05:30

A few years ago the Cold War International History Project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars published this discussion between Khrushchev and Mao in October 1959, six months after the uprising in Lhasa which forced the Dalai Lama to take refuge in India. In August 1959, an armed clash occured at a border post called Longju on the McMahon Line. An Indian border guard was

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-52485616808440246312011-09-03T06:20:00.000+05:302011-09-03T06:29:45.621+05:30

Tashi Phuntsok, Panchen Lama, Ngabo, Phuntsok Wangyal, Juchen Thupten Namgyal standing, Lobsang Samten, the Dalai Lama's younger brother is in front right  (1979, Beijing) Former Kalon Tripa Juchen Thupten Namgyal was a remarkable Tibetan official. I still remember interviewing him in the 1990's, he had such a sharp memories: he could remember the minutest details of the first 'negotiations'

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-12679794507856974552011-09-02T06:48:00.000+05:302011-09-02T06:48:16.780+05:30

In my book,The Negotiations that never were, I have shown how difficult it is to negotiate with China. Thirty years after the beginning of the exercise between Dharamsala and Beijing, the Chinese side has not moved an inch forward. This article published in China Review News candidly explains why: before starting the 'negotiations', the Chinese side asks their interlocutors to fully accept

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-62886250943031885672011-09-01T05:46:00.001+05:302011-09-01T05:47:52.165+05:30

My article Beijing’s unopened secret gift package to Nepal appeared in DNA. You may think that Communists are atheists. You are wrong. They have recently become great experts in religious matters, including ‘soul’ reincarnations and reestablishing Buddhist institutions. Last year, Beijing announced some new regulations to select what they call ‘Living Buddhas’. Termed Management Measures for

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-79784186621461304392011-08-30T06:23:00.001+05:302011-08-30T08:00:25.000+05:30

A new book on China, more particularly on the People’s Liberation Army is always welcome: more so, when it is well researched like China — Military Modernisation and Strategy authored by Dr. Monika Chansoria (KW Publishers, New Delhi). One still remembers that some years ago, George Fernandes, the then Defence Minister was fired at short range by his own NDA government for having dared to

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-29259640093585470372011-08-29T07:40:00.001+05:302011-08-29T07:44:03.687+05:30

According to his official biography, Chen Quanguo, 55, is a native of Pingyu County in Henan. He was deputy secretary of the CCP Henan Provincial Committee between April 2003 and November 2009, then he was 'elected' governor of Hebei Provincial People’s Government at the 3rd meeting of the 11th Provincial People's Congress on 16 January. Chen is an alternate member of the 17th CCP Central

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-53723759507815733612011-08-28T06:14:00.001+05:302011-08-28T06:15:07.152+05:30

This article has been published in the last issue of the Indian Defence Review. An angle of the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict has been insufficiently studied. What were Beijing’s motivations to go to war? Why did China suddenly decide to slap Nehru? Who decided to inflict the worse possible humiliation to India? The historical sources are still sparse, but going through some available documents,

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-48373106094387889872011-08-27T06:49:00.001+05:302011-08-27T10:47:33.119+05:30

  Interestingly, China seems to becoming more open than India as far as dam construction and safety is concerned. For example the minutes of  Report of the Technical Expert Group on Brahmaputra Water Diversion (2009) prepared by the Government of India are still classified despite members of the civil society asking for it under RTI.  Who is this civil society anyway, will ask the Government?

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-84042509334530348072011-08-26T06:53:00.006+05:302011-08-29T07:45:58.548+05:30

Zhang Qingli, the Party boss in the Tibetan Autonomous Region has been transferred to an unknown position. Is this move connected with the recent visit of Vice-President Xi Jinping's visit to Tibet? Difficult to say! In his first speech as Party Secretary, Chen Quanguo cited five times Hu Jintao and not a word of Xi Jinping. Does it mean that Chen will follow the hardline policies put in place

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-17906822079893786262011-08-25T15:53:00.000+05:302011-08-25T15:53:08.635+05:30

My article China's shadow over Nepal was published in today's Edit Page of The Pioneer. Beijing is strengthening its grip over Kathmandu as in the long run it wants to control Nepal for political and strategic reasons.   The situation in Nepal is rapidly spinning out of control, though the recent resignation of Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal had some unexpected effects. Even if Maoist deputy

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-88549054820321614962011-08-24T07:38:00.001+05:302011-08-25T11:01:55.953+05:30

Some years ago, when George Fernandes, the then Defence Minister dared saying that China is India's No 1 enemy (and not Pakistan), he was told to keep quiet by his own NDA government.  The mindset in the Indian establishment has radically changed since then, mainly thanks to the tremendous progress made by the Chinese PLA on the infrastructure development in Tibet. The creation of a strike Corps

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-46330670430437998982011-08-23T06:43:00.003+05:302011-08-26T09:50:41.955+05:30

According to this article between 80 to 90 percent of Château Lafite wine sold in China is fake. In less than ten years, the price of Château Lafitte has risen 857%!!! A few months back, as I visited some of the Châteaux in the Médoc where Château Lafite is located, I noticed several mini-buses loaded with Chinese visitors/tourists.  I wondered, 'what are they doing here?'.  I was later told

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3942672441068274371.post-78804264349923391802011-08-22T07:38:00.000+05:302011-08-22T07:38:39.960+05:30

The Economist said that the Nepalese media speculated about the status of the "Asia Pacific Exchange and Co-operation Foundation" wanting to invest billions in Lumbini. Was this mysterious organization a front for either the Indian or the Chinese intelligence service? It concluded "The truth seems even stranger".One could ask: why should an organization, based in Hong-Kong with China's

Claude Arpihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651031442389985902noreply@blogger.com0