THE GREAT GAME'S LINGERING EFFECTS ON THE NORTHEAST
The Morning Standard|August 01, 2024
If not for Britain's Great Game anxiety, Tibet and Sikkim might have stayed autonomous, as Bhutan has. This would have meant a very different security environment in the Northeast
PRADIP PHANJOUBAM
THE GREAT GAME'S LINGERING EFFECTS ON THE NORTHEAST

0FTEN, rarely-visited pages of history provide refreshing insights into present problems. This is not surprising, considering many of the postcolonial world's problems are legacies of a past era marked by rivalries marked by silent ploys and counterploys between colonising European powers, carefully harnessed so they did not escalate into open conflicts.

Northeast India is among the regions still facing the consequences of one such rivalry between imperial Britain and tsarist Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries-the Great Game. The dispute over the McMahon Line, the periodic border skirmishes-most notably, the flashpoint at Doklam in the Sikkim sector in June 2017 are some evidences.

The Doklam case in which India prevented China from building a road on the Doklam plateau in Bhutanese territory close to the Indian border-is especially illustrative. It should be recalled that the Chinese claimed that part of Doklam belonged to them, citing a boundary treaty they signed with the British in 1890 determining Sikkim's territorial extent. The British also signed another treaty with the Chinese in 1893 to allow setting up of a British-Indian trade mart at Yatung in the Chumbi valley contiguous to Doklam.

The history of these treaties is intriguing for the fact that they were signed with China, not Tibet. Were the British recognising the suzerainty of China over Tibet? Not quite so. The answer has more to do with the Great Game, as Chinaborn British scholar Alastair Lamb, author of the monumental two-volume work, The McMahon Line: A Study in Relation Between India, China and Tibet, 1904-1914 says in his portrayal of the Lingtu blockade by Tibet.

Bu hikaye The Morning Standard dergisinin August 01, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye The Morning Standard dergisinin August 01, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE MORNING STANDARD DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
The Morning Standard

Sangita's double strike helps India win in ACT

YOUNG striker Sangita Kumari scored a brace as defending champions India defeated Malaysia 4-0 to open their campaign at the women's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament on a confident note on Monday.

time-read
1 min  |
November 12, 2024
GAMBHIR TIME DOWN UNDER
The Morning Standard

GAMBHIR TIME DOWN UNDER

In coach's biggest assignment since taking over, results may decide direction of India team

time-read
3 dak  |
November 12, 2024
PCB to write to ICC seeking clarifications on Champions Trophy
The Morning Standard

PCB to write to ICC seeking clarifications on Champions Trophy

GIVEN the recent developments with regard to the 2025 Champions Trophy, hosts Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is going to write to the International Cricket Board (ICC) seeking clarity over the situation.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 12, 2024
Aravindh Chithambaram: Grand Master of Chennai
The Morning Standard

Aravindh Chithambaram: Grand Master of Chennai

ARAVINDH Chithambaram is a pessimist by nature. When he was being driven to the Anna Centenary Library before the opening round of the Chennai Grand Masters last Tuesday, the 25-year-old had only thought running through his mind.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 12, 2024
ATP Finals: Ruud beats Alcaraz
The Morning Standard

ATP Finals: Ruud beats Alcaraz

NORWAY'S Casper Ruud eased to a straight-sets victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Monday as the Spanish star's bid for a maiden ATP Finals title got off to a poor start.

time-read
1 min  |
November 12, 2024
Hit by absence of injured Yamal, Barcelona lose to Sociedad
The Morning Standard

Hit by absence of injured Yamal, Barcelona lose to Sociedad

MISSING injured Lamine Yamal, Barcelona saw their seven-game winning run come to an end with a 1-0 loss at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league.

time-read
1 min  |
November 12, 2024
Will Trump's win force India to rejig corp tax?
The Morning Standard

Will Trump's win force India to rejig corp tax?

Experts say dynamics of tax rates are complex and influenced by factors beyond mere comparison with US rates

time-read
2 dak  |
November 12, 2024
The Morning Standard

BoI profit soars 63% on better asset quality

IMPROVEMENT in asset quality and non-interest income boosted bottomline of state-run Bank of India by 63% to ₹2,374 crore.

time-read
1 min  |
November 12, 2024
The Morning Standard

Zomato, Swiggy say complying with CCI rules

AMID a CCI investigation into anti-competitive practices, Zomato has emphasised its adherence to competition laws, while competitor Swiggy has affirmed its dedication to following local regulations.

time-read
1 min  |
November 12, 2024
The Morning Standard

Net equity fund inflows surge to ₹41,000 cr in Oct

RECORD inflows into open-ended equity mutual funds, which surged 21.7% on a month-on-month basis in October at ₹41,887 crore, made it the 44th month of positive inflows.

time-read
1 min  |
November 12, 2024