Plunging deep into the history of the Roof of the World, this book introduces us to the one the greatest tragedies of modern times, its main characters as well as the forces moving them, consciously or unconsciously.

The main ‘knot’ of our ‘drama’ took place in 1950. During this ‘fateful’ year the dies of fate were thrown. There are turning points in history when it is possible for events to go one way or another, — when the tides of time seem poised between the flood and the ebb, when fate awaits our choice to strike its glorious or somber note and destiny of an entire nation hangs on balance. The year 1950 was certainly one such crucial year in the destinies of India, Tibet and China. The three nations had the choice of going towards peace and collaboration, or tension and confrontation. Decisions can be made with all good intentions — as in the case of Nehru who believed in an ‘eternal friendship’ with China — or with less good motives as for Mao. Decisions can be made out of weakness, greed, pragmatism, ignorance or fear, but once a choice is made, consequences unfold for years and decades thereafter.

The key to conflict or peace in Asia today lies on the Tibetan plateau. This study of the history of Tibet, a nation sandwiched between two giant neighbors, will help the student of geopolitics to grasp better the tumultuous relations between India and China, particularly the recent events in Tibet and the border dispute with China.

Reviews

“…well researched and illuminating account... a tribute not only to the author’s painstaking efforts to get the truth… but also marks a plus for the publishers who thought of bringing out this very instructive account.”

THE NORTH INDIAN TRIBUNE , 2008-09-08

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