The Tibetan Independence Movement : Political, Religious and Gandhian Perspectives

Tibet has been occupied for over fifty years, yet no progress has been made in solving the Tibetan problem. The first serious analysis of the Tibetan independence movement, this book is also the first to view the struggle from a comparative perspective, making an overt comparison with the Indian independence movement. It rectifies the problem that the Tibetan independence movement is not taken seriously from a political perspective. The book is particularly concerned with the relationship between Buddhism and Tibetan politics and resistance, comparing this with the relationship between Hinduism and Gandhian political thought. It also expands on the limited literature concerning violent resistance in Tibet, examining guerilla warfare and the hunger strike undertaken by the Tibetan Youth Congress in 1998, rejecting the 'Shangri-la-ist' approach to Tibetan resistance. "This is the first serious political analysis of the Tibetan independence movement. It is also the first to view the struggle from a comparative perspective, using the Indian independence movement. It addresses the need to move away from Tibet being treated as a purely religious and cultural entity. This book examines Tibetan resistance through guerrilla warfare and the 1998 hunger strike undertaken by the Tibetan Youth Congress. Both of these have been condemned by the Dalai Lama for their inappropriateness in a Buddhist setting. By examining the types of resistance offered by the Tibetans against the Chinese, lessons can be drawn about the continuing reliance on the dual relationship of religion and politics in Tibetan society."--Jacket. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 8 Glossary......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 Tibet: religion, resistance and the state......Page 19 Resistance in Tibet: violence and exile......Page 40 'Our demand is cheap': fasting for the future of Tibet......Page 59 'My life is my message': the Gandhian paradigm......Page 81 Spirituality and politics: the Gandhian and Tibetan cases......Page 108 The Indian path to independence: from colonialism to nationalism......Page 131 Towards partition in India: lessons for politics and religion......Page 148 Conclusion: political lessons for Tibet......Page 176 Notes......Page 195 Bibliography......Page 212 Index......Page 219 Annotation The first serious analysis of the Tibetan independence movement, this book is also the first to view the struggle from a comparative perspective, making an overt comparison with the Indian independence movement Tibet has been occupied since the 1950s, yet no progress has been made in solving the Tibetan problem. This text is an analysis of the Tibetan independence movement, viewing the struggle from a comparative perspective