Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar,
the father of Indian
Constitution, on Tibet
(Discussion on Panchsheel Agreement in the Parliament, 1954)
INDIA accorded recognition to China in 1949. Dr. Ambedkar
wished that India should have accorded this recognition to Tibet
instead of China and there would be no Sino-Indian border
conflict.
He was then the Member of Rajya Sabha and he said the
following to Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in front of
the full house:
“Our Prime Minister is depending on the Panchsheel which
has been adopted by Comrade Mao and the Panchsheel in which
one of the clauses is the No-Aggression Treaty on Tibet. I am
indeed surprised that our Hon’ble Prime Minister is taking this
`Panchsheel’ seriously. Hon’ble Members of the House, you
must be knowing that Panchsheel is one of the significant parts
of the Buddha Dharma. If Shri Mao had even an iota of faith in
Panchsheel he would have treated the Buddhists in his country
in a different manner. Panchsheel has no place in politics. The
truth inherent in Panchsheel is that Morality is forever changing.
There is nothing called Morality. You can abide by your promises
in accordance with today’s Morality and by the same propriety
you may violate your own promise simply because tomorrow’s
Morality will have different demands … in my opinion our Prime
Minister will realise the truth in my words when the situation
matures further … I don’t really know what is going to happen.
By letting China take control over Lhasa (Tibetan Capital) the
Prime Minister has in a way helped the Chinese to bring their
armies on the Indian borders. Any victor who annexes Kashmir
can directly reach Pathankot, and I know it for sure that he can
reach the Prime Minister’s House also.”