(TibetanReview.net, Jul31’24) – Chief Minister Pema Khandu of the border state of Arunachal Pradesh already said it before: that India’s border is with Tibet, not China. And now, the only Rajya Sabha (upper house) member from Sikkim, another border state, has told parliament Jul 30 that the country should officially use the correct term “Tibet Border”, instead of “China border’.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha during the discussion on the Union Budget 2024, Dorjee Tshering Lepcha said the border should be referred as the “Tibet border”, reported ndtv.com Jul 31.
The 1,400-kilometer stretch from Leh, Ladakh, and Arunachal Pradesh to Sikkim more accurately borders Tibet rather than China. The Indian government and military agencies, including the Indian Army and the Border Roads Organization (BRO), should officially recognise this distinction, the timesofindia.com Jul 31 cited him as having urged.
“This is not the China border. This is the Tibet border,” the report quoted Lepcha as saying.
He has asked the Centre to issue a directive to its agencies to officially rename the border as the “Tibet border.”
Taking a stand on “an important issue that affects our national identity and territorial integrity,” Lepcha has said, “China has long kept a watchful eye on our territories, even going so far as to change the names of our areas. It’s time we reclaim our identity and call the border what it truly is – the Tibet Border. This shift not only aligns with historical facts but also serves to erase the influence of the dragon,” reported eastmojo.com Jul 31.
“It is crucial that we treat and recognize this border correctly,” Lepcha has said.
Lepcha, who belongs to the ruling BJP at the Centre, has also complained of disparity in development along the two sides of the international border regions. He pointed out that while China has built villages and infrastructure on its side in Tibet, the Indian side primarily consists of reserved forests and wildlife sanctuaries with restricted access, the reports said.
He has urged the central government to conduct a comprehensive review and take action to address these developmental disparities