Govt’s firewall for torch

Eager to avoid further escalation of matters with China on the situation in Tibet...

Eager to avoid further escalation of matters with China on the situation in Tibet, the Government is taking no chances on the safety of the Olympic torch when it comes to New Delhi on April 17. Orders have gone out from the PMO to all security agencies that there should be “no disturbance” to the torch relay in the Capital.

With the Chinese already raising concerns about the safety of the torch in India, apprehending protests from the large number of Tibetan refugees here, the Government is treating the issue with topmost priority.

The National Security Advisor is scheduled to take a review meeting on Thursday with senior officials and security agencies to take stock of arrangements being made to ensure the safety and security of the torch during its nearly 20-hour stay in India.

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Strict instructions have been passed to security agencies to avoid situations like the one witnessed at the Chinese embassy recently when some Tibetans scaled the walls and entered the embassy compound while protesting Chinese action in Tibet.

Taking serious note of such protests, China even summoned the Indian ambassador in Beijing in the middle of the night to convey its displeasure.

With the Chinese ambassador in India Zhang Yan having met the Home Minister to express concerns over the safety of the torch in India, the Government is not ready to take any chances this time. It has ordered monitoring of all Tibetans in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

In Behrampore in West Bengal today, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked the Tibetan community not to do anything that could harm India’s diplomatic relations with China. He said the Dalai Lama and his followers were honoured guests in India but they should ensure that their actions do not hurt India’s bilateral ties with Beijing.

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The route that the torch relay will take in New Delhi is still being finalised with one top consideration being that it should travel through places where access can be controlled.

Sources told The Indian Express that one of the options being considered is to start the relay from Red Fort and end it at India Gate where a cultural programme is also being planned in the evening. About 2,000 schoolchildren are likely to be allowed access during the relay but only after checking their ID cards.

The torch is due to arrive in New Delhi from Islamabad on the night between April 16 and 17 and the relay is planned for the second half on April 17. Sources said the entire relay would be wrapped up in 2-3 hours. The torch will leave for Indonesia the same evening on a chartered flight.