Dalai Lama says Doklam standoff not very serious, invokes Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai

The spirit of Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai was the only way forward on the Doklam crisis, Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama said on Wednesday, amidst the seven-weeks long Doklam stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Himalayan heights.
 
Even tough there are periods when the two neighbours used harsh words against each other, the spirit of Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai (Indian and Chinese are brothers – a slogan coined in the 1950) was the only way forward as the two nations had to live side by side, he said here.
 
But propaganda made things complicated, he conceded.
 
“I do not think it (Doklam stand-off) is very serious. India and China have to live side by side. Even in 1962, Chinese forces which reached Bomdilla, eventually withdrew. India and China have to live side by side,” the Nobel Prize winning Tibetan spiritual leader said while speaking at the Rajendra Mathur Memorial Lecture organised by the Editors Guild of India.
 
Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang, Bomdilla and other parts of Arunachal Pradesh in April, 2017 was considered as one of the triggers that led to thee current Doklam crisis at the strategically important tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.
 
India and China have been locked in a face-off in the Doklam area inside Bhutan for more than 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area.

China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory and has been demanding immediate withdrawal of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau. Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims it to be its territory and says Thimphu has no dispute with Beijing over it.
 
India and Bhutan perceive the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction at a point near Batang La. This perception is based on the watershed principle on which the boundary between India and China has been orchestrated. But China perceives the tri-junction to lie further south at Gyemochen in accordance with an 1890 agreement between Great Britain and China.
 
In between, lies an area of 89 sq km, which is currently the bone of contention.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stated both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution of the border stand-off. The Chinese officials, however, didn't react favourably yo the Indian proposal.