Fwd: Nehru Didn't Listen to a Ladakhi Monk's Warning...
Suryanarayana Ambadipudi
Nehru Didn't Listen to a Ladakhi Monk's Warning...... and the consequences were severe in the Indo-China War of 1962
Kushok Bakula Rinpoche was handpicked by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1949 to step up and be counted as a Ladakhi politician. You can read about this endearing story here on our Instagram post. Kushok Bakula Rinpoche was born into the royal family of Matho in 1917 on the auspicious day of Buddha’s birth. Recognized by the 13th Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Arhat Bakula, one of Buddha’s sixteen disciples, he had already proven himself as a scholar-monk of exceptional caliber, having obtained the highest degree in Philosophy and Metaphysics from Tibet’s prestigious Drepung Loseling Monastic Institute. Thanks for reading Your Reading Room(mate)! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. His political achievements were numerous. He championed education, ensuring schools opened across Ladakh. He fought for autonomous development councils, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become Ladakh’s Union Territory status in 2019. Most importantly, he ensured that Ladakhi identity remained above religious divisions, maintaining unity between Buddhist and Muslim communities. Rinpoche believed in Nehru’s genuine dedication to uplifting the poor and downtrodden. Together, they worked to fulfill the goals of Ladakh’s developmental integration with mainland India, transforming a remote frontier region into a vital part of the Indian Union. This partnership went beyond politics. Through Nehru’s encouragement and Rinpoche’s leadership, Ladakh found its voice in democratic India while preserving its unique cultural and spiritual identity. The Tibet Mission and The Warning That Fell on Deaf EarsIn 1955, as India prepared for the grand Buddha Jayanti celebrations to mark the 2500th anniversary of Buddha’s birth, Nehru entrusted Bakula Rinpoche with a crucial diplomatic mission. The goal was to coordinate with the Tibetan government in Lhasa and secure the participation of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama in the upcoming celebrations across India. This mission would prove to be far more significant than its ceremonial purpose suggested. Rinpoche led a delegation that included Durga Das Khosla, an official from the Jammu & Kashmir political department, and Nirmal Sinha, a scholar attached to the political officer in Sikkim, along with four Ladakhi attendants. The journey to Tibet in early 1956 provided Rinpoche with a firsthand view of the dramatic changes occurring under Chinese occupation. From the moment they crossed into Tibet at Nathu La on January 8, 1956, troubling signs emerged. At Chumpithang in the Chumbi Valley, a Chinese interpreter shocked Khosla by claiming that “Ladakh being a part of Tibet, an Indian Officer could not be connected with him.” VSK Telangana Even more alarming was Khosla’s observation: “The Chinese Government has secretly circulated a new map of Tibet among their official organisations... in which they have shown the whole of Aksai Chin (Soda Plains) hump as a part of Tibet. Kashmir’s northern border as illustrated in this map shows some daring incursions into our Karakoram area of northern Ladakh and Baltistan.” This was three years before the Aksai Chin issue would come to Parliament, and Nehru would admit that China had built a road on Indian soil. During his three-month stay in Tibet, Rinpoche had extensive discussions with the Panchen Lama in Shigatse, audiences with the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, and meetings with various Tibetan leaders. What he witnessed deeply concerned him: Around 20,000 Chinese troops were present throughout Tibet, ostensibly for construction work but clearly for military control. Upon his return to Delhi, Rinpoche was received by Prime Minister Nehru for a detailed 90-minute briefing. As historian Ramachandra Guha documented in “India after Gandhi,” Rinpoche warned the Government of India in 1955 of the severe danger facing Tibet and its potential fallout on India, as reports came in of growing Chinese presence in the region. According to Dr. Jamyang Gyaltsan, a retired professor who belonged to the same village as Rinpoche: “When the delegation returned, Rinpoche told Nehru that not only will the Chinese access Tibet but also take away the Indian territory. Nehru didn’t believe him. He shared this with me much later and said if Nehru ji had believed him, things would have been different.” India Today. Rinpoche’s warnings about Chinese intentions in Tibet and their implications for Indian territory, particularly regarding Aksai Chin, were unfortunately ignored. The consequences of this oversight would become painfully evident during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, when China’s occupation of Aksai Chin became a fait accompli. Grace in the Face of VindicationWhat happened next reveals the extraordinary character of both men, particularly Bakula Rinpoche. Despite being proven tragically correct about Chinese intentions, and despite the devastating consequences of the ignored warnings, Rinpoche never once said “I told you so” to Nehru. As Claude Arpi, an expert on India-China relations, noted: “The Chinese did not keep their words and Delhi did not pay heed to Bakula’s warnings.” VSK Telangana. Yet, even as the Chinese aggression of 1961-62 unfolded exactly as he had predicted, Rinpoche remained a loyal friend and advisor to the Prime Minister. Instead of recriminations, Rinpoche worked tirelessly for the resettlement of Tibetan refugees following their influx into India after the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Already under immense public criticism for the military debacle, Nehru found in Rinpoche not judgment but unwavering support and understanding. The Final TributeWhen Nehru passed away on May 27, 1964, Bakula Rinpoche was devastated. In his letter of condolence to Indira Gandhi, dated June 1, 1964, he wrote: *”The passing away of our most beloved and distinguished Pandit ji is one of the saddest events in the history of man. Mother Earth has become poorer. Man will have to perform deeds of merit for thousands of years before [another] one like him walks upon this earth again... It is the pious wish of our people that a portion of the last remains of the ones who took so much interest in their well-being should be taken to Ladakh so that they may have the sacred opportunity of showing their reverence according to their religious rites. This implies the building of a Stupa and enshrining the sacred remains therein.” This letter reveals the depth of gratitude and affection that Rinpoche felt for Nehru, despite the tragic consequences of the unheeded warnings about China. The request for a portion of Nehru’s ashes to build a stupa in Ladakh was not just a religious gesture but a profound statement of their enduring bond. Thanks for reading Your Reading Room(mate)! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. If you disagree with our analysis, please write back. If we have missed out on something or made wrong claims, please let us know. Do write to us with any feedback, positive or critical. 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Surendra Varma
Suryanarayana Ambadipudi
Rajaram Krishnamurthy
Kushok Bakula Rinpoche: The Nehru confidant praised by PM Modi in Ladakh
During his Ladakh visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that people there managed to defeat all separatist attempts because of Kushok Rinpoche Bakula -- a Buddhist monk and religious leader, who was handpicked by Jawaharlal Nehru when he visited Ladakh in 1949.
Kushok Bakula Rinpocheis believed to be the 19th incarnation of Bakula, one of the 16 arhats or disciples of Buddha. (Photo: India Today)
Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, who Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded for instilling nationalism within people of Ladakh and preventing all attempts of separatism, was a close aide of Jawaharlal Nehru, old-timers in Ladakh say.
Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk and religious leader, was handpicked by Nehru in 1949 when he visited Ladakh.
This was soon after the raids by Pakistani tribal raiders in Jammu and Kashmir as he played a pivotal role in ensuring Ladakh is not divided on religious lines.
Rinpoche always ensured that there are no divisions and wanted Ladakhi identity to be above religion, many say.
Rinpoche is believed to be the 19th incarnation of Bakula, one of the 16 arhats or disciples of Buddha.
Born in 1917 in a royal family in Mahto village of Ladakh, Rinpoche was a stranger to politics until 1949 when Nehru persuaded him to be a part of public life and serve the people of Ladakh.
Thuspstan Paldan, a Buddhist monk who has been a student of Rinpoche since 5 years of age, said that the latter was identified as a leader by Nehru.
"Pandit Nehru, urged him to join politics. He was reluctant but finally ended up joining National Conference. Later he joined the Congress," Thuspstan Paldan said.
Thuspstan Paldan recalls when in 1961, Delhi Ladakh Institute was inaugurated by Nehru, he along with some other students were given a scholarship of Rs. 75 per month by the then prime minster.
"When Nehru ji died, I was one of the students from Delhi Ladakh Institute to offer prayers at Teen Murti Bhawan, the official residence of the Prime Minister," Thuspstan Paldan said.
Dr Jamyang Gyaltsan, a retired professor of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in Leh who belongs to the same village as Rinpoche, said initially that the religious leader wasn't comfortable joining politics. "But he couldn't say no to the Prime Minister," Gyaltsan said.
"Later he was like family to Nehru ji," Gyaltsan added.
"He did a lot for ensuring education reaches young children and made sure schools open here," said Gyaltsan.
Both Gyaltsan and Paldan said that Rinpoche was a champion of Ladakhi autonomy and always wanted Ladakh to be a union territory, to carry its own identity.
They said that it started with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and finally culminated with Ladakh getting union territory status last year.
Dr Jamyang Gyaltsan said that in 1956, Nehru sent a delegation to Tibet headed by Rinpoche to understand the Chinese strategy there.
"When the delegation returned, Rinpoche told Nehru that not only will the Chinese access Tibet but also take away the Indian territory. Nehru didn't believe him. He shared this with me much later and said if Nehru ji had believed him, things would have been different," Gyaltsan said.
Rinpoche was the minister of Ladakh Affairs for 10 years in Jammu and Kashmir and later became the first Member of Parliament from Ladakh.
Rinpoche was also appointed as a member of the Minorities Commission of Indian later was Ambassador to Mangolia when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister.
In the year 2,000, Rinpoche came back to Ladakh to lead a retired life and died in 2003 at the age of 86 but his legacy will live on for generations as he is remembered as the architect of modern Ladakh.
On Friday, in his address to the troops in Nimu, Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said: "People of this land defeated all separatist attempts because of Kushok Rinpoche Bakula." The inspiration for men to join Army's Ladakh Scouts came from Rinpoche, he had said.
KR That was in 2020 from INDIA TODAY. Criticism is passed at the end of 75 years after the troubles there where Modi also did not listen. For me my Joint commissioner is more important than the upper division clerk. Not only Rinpoche even Kanchi and Sringeri did advise our leaders. But politics is a mystery. When we fall like nine pins, the whole world will trample on us or shall praise as Indra.
KR IRS 71025