Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), April 2: Tibetan leaders and members of India’s strategic community met in Dharamshala for a closed-door roundtable on “India-Tibet-China & the Shifting World Order,” examining changing geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific and implications for regional security.
The session was part of an orientation programme held March 30–April 2, organised by the Tibet Action Institute with the Asia Strategic Forum and Closed Door Policy Consulting. The programme brought a delegation of Indian strategic thinkers and researchers to engage with the Tibetan government-in-exile leadership and associated institutions.
Dorjee Tsetan, programme director at the Tibet Action Institute, said the initiative aimed to strengthen ties between Indian scholars and the Tibetan government-in-exile. He said the orientation included researchers, scholars and activists to ensure informed discussions on India-Tibet-China relations. Topics ranged across geopolitics, ecology and security, with emphasis on raising the profile of Tibet within Delhi’s strategic community and exploring how Tibet sits at the centre of Indo-Pacific dynamics and India’s security concerns.
Tsetan highlighted briefings by Tibetan scholars on ecological importance and Chinese military construction in Tibet, warning these developments threaten India’s long-term security. He noted discussions on China’s restrictions on Tibetan religious practices, particularly the issue of reincarnation and the implications for Tibetan spiritual leadership.
Co-organiser Jyotsna Mehra said the programme handpicked young analysts from leading Indian think tanks and universities working on areas such as critical minerals, AI, civilisational history, India-China-Tibet relations and US foreign policy. She described the closed-door sessions as a crucial step for frank exchanges between Tibetan and Indian participants.
Participants stressed Tibet’s growing significance in India-China ties and future security planning. Namrata Hasija remarked that Tibet will be a central issue in bilateral relations and cautioned that China may pressure India over matters arising after the Dalai Lama. She referenced past incidents like the Galwan Valley clash and said Chinese behaviour has taught India to remain vigilant despite recent agreements.
Kamal Madishetty noted the depth of the exchange over several days, highlighting discussions on environmental degradation linked to mining and mega-dam construction in Tibet and the downstream implications for Asia’s major rivers, which affects India’s national security and environment. He also pointed to deliberations on China’s military activities and questions around Tibetan identity and the movement’s future spiritual and political leadership.
Indian participants came from institutions including Observer Research Foundation, Vivekananda International Foundation, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, Council for Strategic and Defence Research, O.P. Jindal Global University and Rishihood University. The closed-door format facilitated in-depth dialogue among Indian scholars, Tibetan policymakers, researchers and activists on issues shaping Tibet, India-China relations and regional security in the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)
