Chinese spoil Kailash yatra

Chennai, May 6: Indications are that the eagerly
awaited Manasarovar-Kailash pilgrimage through the holy Himalayas might
not take place this year. The Chinese government is refusing to grant
visas to Indian pilgrims allegedly over New Delhi’s handling of the
Tibetan unrest, informed sources here said.

A former Tamil Nadu director-general of police who has been closely
associated with the pilgrimage for over a decade told this newspaper
that the Chinese authorities were not happy with India’s handling of
the protests by Tibetans across the country, and that this might lead
to the denial of visas for Indian pilgrims hoping to make the arduous
trip to Lord Shiva’s Himalayan abode. “The visas are issued by the
Chinese authorities from their Lhasa office. This has been closed
following the riots in Tibet,” said the former DGP, who sought
anonymity.

The media relations section of the Chinese embassy in New Delhi said
visas were not being issued because the office was shut due to
holidays. “We have started issuing visas from Monday,” said the
official. But he declined to talk about the Manasarovar-Kailash
pilgrimage.

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