China Deems Naming Peak after 6th Dalai Lama Illegal

Indian mountaineers have named an unnamed and uncharted peak in Arunachal Pradesh after the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, prompting a strong reaction from China. During a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian declared the naming act illegal. He asserted that India’s establishment of “Arunachal Pradesh” violates China’s territorial sovereignty.

“It is illegal and null and void for India to set up the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ in Chinese territory,” Lin stated. He claimed ignorance of the specific incident but affirmed China’s consistent position regarding the region.

India has yet to respond to China’s remarks but has reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, and assigning “invented” names does not change this reality.

On September 25, a team from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) scaled an unnamed and uncharted peak in Arunachal Pradesh and named it after the 6th Dalai Lama. The expedition to the 20,942-foot peak was led by director Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal.

According to a press release from the Defence Ministry, naming the peak after the 6th Dalai Lama was a tribute to his “timeless wisdom and profound contributions” to the Monpa community, the only nomadic tribe in Northeast India.

The Defence Ministry highlighted that this peak is among the most technically challenging and unexplored summits in the region, noting that the mountaineering team overcame “sheer ice walls, treacherous crevasses, and a two-kilometer-long glacier.”

Sources indicate that necessary formalities are being completed to ensure that “Tsangyang Gyatso Peak” is recognized on India’s official map.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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