India cautious over Dalai Lama before Manmohan-Wen meeting

NEW DELHI - Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting later this month with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Hanoi, the government Friday treaded cautiously over reports about denying permission to Jamia Millia Islamia to award Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama an honorary doctorate.

“Dalai Lama is a very respected religious and spiritual leader for millions of Indians. The matter is receiving our attention,” Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here Friday.

She was reacting to reports about the external affairs ministry denying permission to Jamia Millia Islamia to award an honorary doctorate to the Tibetan leader.

However, Jamia Vice-Chancellor Najeeb Jung told a news channel that he received a formal communication from the human resource development ministry (HRD) on this. “The HRD ministry sent a copy of a fax it got from the external affairs ministry that this wasn’t an opportune time (to honour the Dalai Lama),” he said Friday.

Jung said he then urged Rao to reconsider the decision. “She assured me she would be happy to take a fresh look on the matter,” he said.

The external affairs ministry’s circumspect attitude towards the Dalai Lama comes in the wake of recent strains in bilateral ties over a host of issues, including the Chinese practice of issuing stapled visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir, a ploy to question India’s sovereignty over the state.

India regards the Dalai Lama, who has been living here since 1959 after fleeing Chinese persecution, as an honoured guest, but has an understanding with the Chinese not to allow him to indulge in political activities on Indian soil.

Moreover, the government did not want to antagonise Beijing ahead of the meeting between Manmohan Singh and Wen in Hanoi Oct 29, sources said.

“There will be a meeting between the prime minister and the Chinese premier in Hanoi. There is enough space for India and China to grow together,” Rao said in a bid to stress positives ahead of the meeting.

Manmohan Singh will attend the India-ASEAN summit scheduled for Oct 30. The meeting between Wen and Singh will take place on the sidelines of the summit in Hanoi Oct 29.

“China and India are important Asian countries. When the leaders of the two large neighbours meet, they discuss all issues,” Rao said when asked whether the issue of stapled visas will figure during discussions.

“The agenda will be a rich and textured one,” she said.