Nehru’s Folly and the ‘Loss’ of Tibet continues....

Lt. Gen. Sir Francis Tuker, India’s GOC-in-C Eastern Command in 1948, had in a six-page analysis quoted the Tibetan-speaking former British Political Officer for Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet, Charles Bell, saying that ‘We want Tibet as a buffer to India in the North.’ He had prophetically added that ‘Tibet will afford a great central emplacement for the installation of long-range nuclear weapons.... It is India’s interest to prevent the military occupation by China of the Tibetan plateau. She must always be able to forestall it by her own occupation.’

At Independence in 1947, India took the official position that it recognized Tibetan autonomy while at the same time recognizing China's suzerainty (as distinct from sovereignty). Basically this implied a continued recognition of the old medieval and earlier Asian system of independent but vassal states, who accepted the overlordship of a neighbouring major power by paying some form of ritual tribute, which thereby prevented the major power from attacking them. It also provided some notional protection from other neighbouring powers, as long as the overlord power was strong enough for its reputation to deter others from attacking its vassal. This position was soon to come under considerable strain.

In 1950, when there was information available that China was about to send its troops into Tibet, some persons at the highest level in the Government of India had wanted to send Indian troops into Tibet.

The subject of an Indian military intervention in Tibet on behalf of the Tibetans was actually raised at a high-level meeting held in the office of the Foreign Secretary, K.P.S. Menon, at which India’s ambassador to China, K. M. Pannikar, the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), General K. M. Cariappa, and the Director Intelligence Bureau (IB), B.N. Mullik, were present. However, Gen. Cariappa, the Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) , had categorically stated that India had
no troops to spare, and that the most that could be spared was an
infantry battalion.

To be continued....