'India should not bow to Chinese pressure on Dalai visit'

"We sincerely hope that India does not cancel the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh as it will really turn the tide in China's favour," Tenzing Dharpen of Tibetans' Womens Association told visiting mediapersons here.

"This will be like bowing to Chinese pressure.This will be very unfortunate," Tibetan Youth Congress President Psewan Rigzin said.

The groups claimed that last year, the government had stopped the Tibetan spiritual leader from visiting Arunachal Pradesh but this the time Indian government seems firm on its stand.

The Tibetan government-in-exile yesterday said that China's objection to the Dalai Lama's planned visit to the state was like stopping a person "going from one room to another in one's own house".

Tibetan prime-minister-in exile Samdhong Rinpoche had accused the Western powers of "appeasing" the Communist government due to "economic" considerations.

On the Tibetan spiritual leader's planned trip to Tawang in November, which has sparked strong opposition from China, Rinpoche had said, "If Beijing is reacting, why is India worried?

"Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and India is a sovereign democratic nation. A person living here on permanent basis for the last 50 years has every right to visit any part of India," he had said.