Arun Joshi

Many of us might not have heard of Tingmosgang Treaty between Tibet and Ladakh of 1664. Even historians have not adequately reflected that had British Surveyor General Sir Alexander completed his assignment of drawing a boundary between Tibet and Ladakh in 1846, the current crisis in Ladakh would not have been as severe as it is at the moment.

History can serve as guide

Political sovereignty of India is at stake, markedly after Ladakh became UT last year. History can serve as a guide. There are scholars in Ladakh having an in-depth knowledge of the history and geography of both Tibet and Ladakh and their treaties. Their services can help in resolving the matters smoothly and speedily.

Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu and the Qing dynasty ruling Tibet had obligated themselves to go by the 1664 peace treaty while drawing the boundary between the two regions straddling high Himalayas.

Ladakh is experiencing a crisis situation. It is worrying is an understatement. It is perhaps dangerous to the unimaginable extent more than the freezing heights of Himalayas where it is playing out .History forms a crucial basis for engaging with foreign countries.

Diplomacy helps in averting abyss in such situations. But history provides the best tool among many to resolve such situations to the satisfaction of the sides concerned. China claims Tibet as its territory and has extended the ownership to the Indian side of Ladakh menacingly. It should be asked to re-open the 1664 peace treaty, and the commitment of the Dogra rulers who had captured Ladakh in 1934-35 followed up by the Chushul treaty of 1842 committing non-intrusion and non-interference in each other’s territory and affairs.

These facts of history and the failure to draw the boundaries in time are at the root of the problems that India is facing in Ladakh.

New geography and history might have been perceived in 1962 and thereafter, but there always are pages that shed more light on the events and complete the picture. Political sovereignty of India is at stake, markedly after Ladakh became UT last year.

If the situation is to be saved for future keeping in with the dignity of nations, consensus, control of the situation, diplomatic and military manoeuvrings may fall short of the exact tools required to achieve the goal.

History can serve as a guide. There are scholars in Ladakh having an in-depth knowledge of the history and geography of both Tibet and Ladakh and their treaties.

Courtesy: Daily Tribune:  15th June, 2020