China Objects To Naming Arunachal Peak After 6th Dalai Lama Amid Ongoing Border Tensions

New Delhi: China has objected to naming a mountain peak in Arunachal Pradesh after the 6th Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso, reiterating its claims over the Indian state. 

Recently, a team of mountaineers from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) under the Ministry of Defence, undertook an expedition and scaled the unnamed and unclimbed 20,942 ft high peak in Arunachal Pradesh. The team led by Col Ranveer Singh decided to name the summit after the 6th Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso, who was born in 1682 in the region of Mon Tawang.

“A NIMAS team successfully scaled an unclimbed 20,942 ft peak in Arunachal Pradesh, naming it “Tsangyang Gyatso Peak” in honour of the 6th Dalai Lama. This historic ascent marks a tribute to his legacy and highlights Arunachal as a premier destination for adventure sports,” Chief Public Relations Office, Kolkata, Ministry of Defence, posted on X on September 25. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian Thursday expressed displeasure over the initiative by the Indian mountaineering team. Jian said he was not aware of the naming of the peak. “Let me say more broadly that the area of Zangnan is Chinese territory… This has been China’s consistent position,” he said at a media briefing in Beijing.

“It’s illegal, and null and void for India to set up the so-called “Arunachal Pradesh” in Chinese territory,” he added. 

In a press release, the Indian Defence Ministry stated that naming the peak after the Tibetan seer serves as a tribute to his enduring wisdom and significant contributions to the Monpa community and beyond.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu congratulated the mountaineering team for scaling the unclimbed Arunachal peak. “Led by Director Ranveer Jamwal, they’ve successfully summited an untamed peak in the Gorichen Massif of Mon Tawang Region of Arunachal Pradesh, reaching an impressive 6,383 meters!” he wrote on X.

“Proud to have flagged off this extraordinary expedition—opening new avenues for adventure tourism in Arunachal Pradesh. Kudos to Team NIMAS for this remarkable achievement!” he added.