In message to China, top Himalayan Buddhist leaders hold meet in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector; CM Pema Khandu attends

Sending out a strong message to China, which recently attempted to rename 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh in a fresh attempt to lay claim on sovereign Indian territory, a group of top Himalayan Buddhist leaders on April 17 visited the State and held a day-long national conference on Nalanda Buddhism Tradition at Gorsam Stupa, Zemithang in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district on Monday.

Sending out a strong message to China, which recently attempted to rename 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh in a fresh attempt to lay claim on sovereign Indian territory, a group of top Himalayan Buddhist leaders on April 17 visited the State and held a day-long national conference on Nalanda Buddhism Tradition at Gorsam Stupa, Zemithang in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district on Monday.

It's rare for top Himalayan Buddhist leaders to come together in such big numbers in the border State and the meeting on Monday is being seen as a clear and unambiguous message to China after its renaming attempt.

The day-long conference, attended by about 600 delegates, is also being seen as an attempt to give a strong push to Himalayan Buddhism. Zemithang in Arunachal is the last village in India, along the Indo-China border.

In December 2022, Chinese PLA troops clashed with Indian forces on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.

What explains China’s actions at the Line of Actual Control? | In Focus podcast

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later issued a statement saying that the Chinese troops tried to unilaterally change the status quo on the LAC and the bid was successfully foiled by the Indian forces. The conference was attended by delegates of revered Rinpoches, Geahes, Khenpos and scholars from all the Himalayan States of Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh (Union Territory), Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir (Paddar-Pangi), Sikkim, North Bengal (Darjeeling, Doors, Jaigaon and Kalimpong), Densa South India Monasteries and 35 delegates from various parts of Arunachal Pradesh like Tuting, Mechuka, Taksing and Anini and others.

Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the Buddhist culture, which thrives on the peaceful co-existence of every sentient being, should not only be preserved but also propagated. Mr. Khandu said the State has a big chunk of the Buddhist population and "fortunately they have kept their culture and traditions safe with religious fervour".