Khandu disapproves Dalai Lama'a visit to Tawang

Itanagar, Apr 11 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu has disapproved the proposed visit of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Tawang in view of the turmoil in Tibet.

A local committee had invited the Dalai Lama to inaugurate a Rs 3.45 crore hospital in Tawang, official sources said. The date though is yet to be fixed.

Officials here apprehend that the Centre might not allow him to visit in view of the present situation.

''The state government has decided that no street agitations against China on the Tibetan issue would be allowed in the state and accordingly the district administration of Tawang has imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC to prevent any anti-China agitations. The Monpas were restricting themselves to prayers in the monastery for the past several days in support of the Tibetans,'' the sources said.

''It would not be wise of the Centre to allow the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang at this juncture,'' Mr Khandu said.

However, Lok Sabha MP from the state Kiren Rijiju, also a Buddhist, said the Centre should not put any restriction on the Dalai Lama's visit to inaugurate a hospital for a humanitarian cause as the place has very poor healthcare system.

Mr Khandu said the Tawang Monastery, which houses 500 lamas and the Ganden Namge Lhaste, an institute for training the lamas, has a predominently Monpa Buddhists' population, which is agitated over alleged Chinese repression of the Tibetans across the border.

He had, however, advised them to agitate only through prayers in support of the Tibetans and not on the streets.

Mr Rijiju, who is the coordinator of the All Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, said no agitation on Tibet should be taken up on the streets of Arunachal Pradesh because the state is ''passing through a difficult situation'' and care should be taken not to aggravate it.

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