Shillong, Feb 05: Expressing concern over the reported attempts of diversion of rivers including the Brahmaputra, Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay in exile said it will be a major concern for the North eastern belt, Himalayan, South Asia and South East Asian region.
Sangay said, “There are some reports of diversion of rivers including Brahmaputra towards china if that happens what will happen because rivers are the life line for millions of people who survives in fishery and agriculture.”
He added saying, “We can clearly see an issue over Tista river between Bangladesh and India it’s a small river but if you talk about Brahmaputra Indus and Sutlej these are major rivers they all started in Tibet and if they are diverted what happens to the North east, Himalayan Belt, south Asia and south East Asia, it is a major concern.”
Stating that when Tibet was independent such issues were never raised, Sangay said “the Tibetans never had this issue because they respected the natural flow of rivers, respected the preservation of forests.”
But he lamented that with the deforestation and specially the exploitation of river sources in Tibet, “it will have negative ramification for years and years to come.”
Sangay said in this sense it is in India’s interest, to preserve the environment of the Himalayan belt in Tibet as well as for spiritual reason and other reasons.
Pointing out most of the major and important rivers of the world such as Brahmaputra (India), Yellow river (China) starts from Tibet, Sangay said, “In that sense, Tibet is also vital as far as climate of Asia is concerned specially in this part of the region where the delay of monsoon is dependent upon the Tibetan plateau.”
Lamenting that deforestation in Tibet is one of the main cause of flood in North East India and Bangladesh, Sangay said, “ When you read that one third of Bangladesh under water, some parts of North east under water, it has direct connection to deforestation in Tibet.”
Tibetan prime mister in exile Lobsang Sangay said that India can play a constructive role in resolving the Tibet issue as Tibet is vital not only for India but for South Asia and Asia at large.
Sangay also enlightened on the Tibet’s culture of preserving Nalanda tradition of Buddhism .
“We follow Buddhism based on Nalanda tradition . In ancient time there was Nalanda University from where scholars were invited to Tibet and they preach Buddhism which we practice today. That means the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism was preserved by the Tibetan people. So that is our connection one,” he said.(SP News)
