Flimsy Reading of History Fails to Predict Tibet’s Future

Prof P. Stobdan (Senior Fellow, IDSA)’s reading of history fails to predict Tibet’s future from the beginning. The Dalai Lama has informed the Tibetan people about his thinking on the succession issue since as early as 1969. Later on September 24, 2011, the Dalai Lama took a definite position on the succession issue, where the Dalai Lama made it very clear that the decision to continue or not continue with the institution of the Dalai Lama lies with the Tibetan people. The real reason for ‘Younghusband’s visit’ to Tibet was not to lay a telegraph line. Because, to lay a telegraph line from Kalimpong to Lhasa, one doesn’t need 1,000 armed soldiers. Instead, an army of coolies, accompanied by engineers, supervisors and dozens of linemen could have done the job. In fact, it was an imperialist venture of the British Empire, to extend its imperial reach in Tibet. While making haste in predicting about the Dalai Lama and Tibet’s future, P. Stobdan let his opinions overtake his rationality, thus leading to his flimsy conclusion.