India bans Tibetans from holding New Delhi rally to improve ties with China

India has banned Tibetans from holding a rally with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi this month to mark the 60th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, officials said on Wednesday, as it tries to improve fraught ties with China. Relations between China and India have been tense in recent months after their troops faced off on a disputed part of their border.

China was also angered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February visit to Arunachal Pradesh, also claimed by China. Senior officials in the foreign and interior ministries said exiled Tibetans would not be allowed to hold a rally in the capital, but could do so in the northern town of Dharamsala, where a Tibetan government in exile is based. “We don’t want Tibetans to hold big anti-China protests in New Delhi because it creates a bit of diplomatic tension between India and China,” said the senior foreign ministry official. “It’s a very sensitive time for India and China ties and we want to ease tensions.” China took control of Tibet in 1950 in what it calls a “peaceful liberation” of the remote, Himalayan region. An uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet erupted in 1958 and troops crushed it the following year. The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled from the crackdown and was granted asylum in India. The Dalai Lama has lived mostly in Dharamsala, where his supporters run a small government in exile and advocate for autonomy for Tibet by peaceful means. An interior ministry also said the Tibetan rally could not be held in New Delhi. “The Dalai Lama’s followers can host events, hold protests - but only in Dharamsala,” said the official, who also declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media. “We have limited them this time.” Dorje Gyalchen, a representative of the Tibetan community in Dharamsala, confirmed that the venue for the gathering planned for New Delhi would be changed. China considers the Dalai Lama to be a dangerous separatist and has piled pressure on foreign governments to shun him. India allows him to pursue his religious activities in the country and to travel abroad. Tens of thousands of Tibetans live in 39 formal settlements and dozens of informal communities across India.