In the Confucian philosophy, reinforced by Marxist dogma, respect flows from bottom to top, and the diktat from the top cannot be altered down the line. We found ourselves banging against a stone wall every time we pleaded for a change in the pre-determined itinerary. It was futile to argue that we had not come all the way to China to visit a printing press in Beijing, and we would prefer to see Tiananmen Square instead. Our very tolerant companions from the All China Journalists Association would explain patiently that their superior had decided the programme and they could not overrule his decision.

Individual initiative is clearly frowned upon. There was a fire alarm in our Shanghai hotel one night, but the only people who rushed down to the foyer in a state of noisy agitation were the Indians and Sudanese. The Chinese (including the girl at the desk) waited patiently for instructions.

The Chinese know their objectives and are not distracted by the world’s opinions or the need to explain. A visit to Tibet makes it clear that the Chinese have quietly and systematically altered the demographic profile of Lhasa forever. There are today more Han Chinese than ethnic Tibetans in the Tibetan capital, which is growing at a frantic pace. The key positions in the state industries and in government are held by the Han Chinese. The Tibetan quarters remain a tourist attraction but the community has been quietly marginalised. Dare one suggest that if such strong armed methods had been adopted in Kashmir, our Kashmir problem might have faded away a long ago.

... contd.