Nepal President, ministers’ Tibetan ‘goof-up’ peeves China

China’s displeasure didn’t affect the recent Barrack Obama-Dalai Lama meet, but it has managed to stop Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav and two ministers from attending a Tibetan celebration in Kathmandu., reports Utpal Parashar.

Updated on: Feb 23, 2010, 17:11:01 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

China’s displeasure didn’t affect the recent Barrack Obama-Dalai Lama meet, but it has managed to stop Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav and two ministers from attending a Tibetan celebration in Kathmandu.

Yadav, Deputy PM Sujata Koirala (who is also the foreign minister) and Culture Minister Minendra Rijal cancelled their reported plans to attend the birth centenary celebrations of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, a popular Tibetan monk, under Chinese pressure.

According to reports, the Nepal President and the ministers had received invitations from Sechen Maha Boudha Bihar, a Tibetan monastery in Kathmandu, to attend the opening celebrations between February 20 and 22.

But Chinese embassy officials conveyed their displeasure to Nepal foreign ministry on Monday that if the dignitaries attended the celebrations it would be against the Himalayan nation’s professed One China policy that regards Tibet and Taiwan as integral parts of China.

Following the Chinese protest, the foreign ministry conveyed the matter to the Prime Minister’s office who in turn advised the President and the ministers to avoid attending the celebrations.

“It would have been a disaster for the government if the President and the senior cabinet ministers had attended the Tibetan programme,” said the Kathmandu Post quoting an unnamed government official.

The President’s office has meanwhile issued a statement saying that Yadav had never consented to attend the function. His press advisor Rajendra Dahal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Born in Tibet in 1910, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche had fled Tibet in 1959 and settled at Kathmandu in 1980. He was the head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 1987 till his death in 1991.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Get the latest World News, breaking headlines and global updates from the US, UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and other countries. Follow major international events on Hindustan Times.