NEW DELHI: For the first-time, Tibetan
spiritual leader Dalai Lama has said that Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, a
territory that's still claimed by   China, is part of India.




Acknowledging the validity of the MacMohan Line as per the 1914
Simla Agreement in an interview to

Navbharat
Times

, he said that Arunchal Pradesh was a part of India under the
agreement signed by Tibetan and British representatives.



In 2003,
while touring Tawang, the Dalai Lama had been asked to comment on the issue, but
had refused to give a direct answer, saying that Arunachal was actually part of
Tibet. China doesn't recognize the MacMohan Line and claims that Tawang and
Arunachal Pradesh are part of its territory.



The statement is bound
to impact the India-China dialogue, as Beijing has already stated that if Tawang
is handed to it, it will rescind claim on the rest of Arunachal Pradesh. The
Chinese proposal is strategically unacceptable to India, as Tawang is close not
just to the northeastern states but also to Bhutan. Tawang is also a key
Buddhist pilgrimage site as it was the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama.




Commenting on the largescale resettlement of Hans in Tibet, the
Tibetan leader said two-third of Lhasa's population is now Han, but Tibetans are
still a majority in the region. He also expressed astonishment at the fact that
the Chinese government disputes his claims on his country, adding, "The entire
world knows we do not want separation from China. We only want to retain our
cutural and spiritual identity. Tibet must be recognized as a special territory,
that is all we ask."