Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 28 : The Surya Command of the Indian Army on Saturday organised a day-long seminar titled 'Interwoven Roots: Shared Indo-Tibetan Heritage' at the headquarters of the Army Training Command in Shimla.
The event brought together a wide spectrum of participants, including the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel, civil administration officials, Buddhist monks, scholars, students, and civilians to reflect on the enduring civilisational, spiritual, and strategic ties between India and Tibet.
Delivering the keynote address, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Central Command, highlighted the deeply rooted Indo-Tibetan linkages and stressed the seminar's role in understanding their significance in today's geopolitical context.
"This seminar is a platform to explore the profound historical, cultural, spiritual, and strategic ties that bind India and Tibet. These are two ancient civilisations with interwoven roots that continue to shape a shared identity," said Lt Gen Sengupta.
"This is not a shared past we're discussing; this is about engaging in meaningful dialogue that will guide our future in light of evolving geopolitical challenges," he noted.
Drawing parallels with a similar seminar held earlier at Nalanda University, the Army commander stated that the Himalayan belt has never been a barrier, as once believed by colonial administrators, but a corridor of civilisation where goods, philosophies, and ideas flowed freely along ancient trade routes like the Silk Route.
"From the diplomatic missions between Nalanda and the Tibetan plateau to the spiritual journeys of Indian masters like Guru Padmasambhava, the Indo-Tibetan exchange has been vibrant and transformational. Even today, the monastic institutions of Himachal Pradesh continue to serve as living repositories of this dialogue," he said.
Speaking on the strategic dimension, he underscored that India's northern borders remain sensitive and require constant vigilance.
"From the 1962 war to the Nathu La clashes, we've seen that the terrain demands not just readiness, but surveillance, technological connectivity, and a nuanced strategy. Our heritage is not just spiritual, but strategic," Lt Gen Sengupta added.
Renowned French scholar and expert on Tibetan affairs Claude Arpi, who also addressed the gathering, delivered a wide-ranging historical and political overview of Indo-Tibetan relations, tracing them from the early Buddhist period to contemporary challenges. He emphasised the importance of Tibetan spiritual traditions and touched upon the sensitive issue of the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, which he said has global implications.
"Whether the Dalai Lama chooses reincarnation or emanation, that decision lies with him... What we do know is that the Panchen Lama, recognised by Tibetans, disappeared in 1995, and the child named by China was reportedly told to follow a political script. This issue remains unresolved," he said.
"I've always been wary of politicising reincarnation. China's attempt to decide religious succession, a deeply spiritual matter, undermines the entire system... His Holiness has already said clearly that he will not be reborn in China. He has indicated in his writings that he may reincarnate in a free country, likely India," Arpi noted.
"From the ancient kingdom of Zhang Zhung and figures like Rinchen Zangpo to the Zorawar Singh expedition in 1841, we must study these as part of our shared political archaeology... The importance of the Kailash Yatra, the role of trade along the Silk Route, and monasteries as centres of diplomacy all speak to our intertwined legacies," he further added.
Arpi also flagged concern over the steady decline in the Tibetan population in India, noting that nearly 40 per cent of Tibetans have left India, and called for stronger efforts to rebuild cultural and strategic links, especially across border regions like Ngari and Western Tibet.
A message from the organisers welcomed participants with the aim to "deepen understanding of the contemporary dimensions of Indo-Tibetan relations, encompassing historical, cultural, and economic linkages."
It stated that the seminar aims to illuminate the shared past, inform the present, and guide the future of these interconnected regions.
The seminar concluded with a call to strengthen border area development, promote archaeological research, facilitate archival access, and revive cultural exchanges, including opening new routes for Kailash Yatra, improving local radio broadcasts beyond borders, and preserving endangered Himalayan languages.
Both speakers, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta and Claude Arpi, underlined the need to protect the civilisational ethos that India and Tibet have jointly nurtured and emphasised that this heritage must continue to inform both security policy and cultural diplomacy in a changing global order.