Scholars condemn destruction of over 300 Buddhist stupas, sacred statues in Tibet

Indian Express

4 days ago

Scholars and experts on Tibetan affairs have strongly condemned the recent destruction of over 300 Buddhist stupas and sacred statues in Tibet, describing it as a direct assault on Indian cultural heritage. They have called for urgent intervention by the Indian government to address what they term as a systematic erasure of Tibetan—and by extension, Indian—cultural legacy under Chinese rule.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Prof (Dr) Sashi Bala, noted Indologist and Buddhist scholar, said, 'The latest report on the destruction of over 300 Buddhist stupas reveals the ongoing situation in Tibet. After physically occupying Tibet, China is now engaged in a cultural invasion. It is not just an attack on Tibetan culture but also on Indian cultural heritage in Tibet that is being systematically erased.'
She said that roots of Tibetan Buddhism lie deeply embedded in Indian traditions, and that the destruction of such symbols is tantamount to denying the Indian origin of Buddhism. 'China propagates the false narrative that Buddhism did not originate from India, using the argument that the Buddha was born in Lumbini, which is now in Nepal. But this overlooks the fact that the philosophical, scriptural, and monastic traditions of Buddhism evolved in India,' she said.
'Tibet and China were historically distinct. There was nothing Chinese in Tibet. Everything Tibet holds sacred—its culture, language, and religion—has Indian origins. Yet India has not responded as it should to these continuing cultural atrocities,' Bala said, adding that during her visits to Tibet, even international scholars were denied access to many revered religious and cultural sites. Echoing similar concerns, senior professor Vijay Kumar Singh from the Department of Chinese and Tibetan Languages at Panjab University, Chandigarh, said, 'What is happening in Tibet today is not surprising. China follows an expansionist mindset, common to all authoritarian regimes. It will never admit to destroying Tibetan culture, just as the British never admitted to the atrocities they committed in India.'
He warned that China's rapid growth and dominance could eventually allow it to rewrite Tibetan history entirely from a Sinicized perspective. 'There may come a time when history books will reflect only the Chinese version of Tibet's past,' he said, urging the Indian government to condemn these actions at all appropriate diplomatic and international forums.
According to a report released on Tuesday by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the demolition took place in May or June 2025 at Lungrab Zang-ri, near the Janggang Monastery. Chinese authorities reportedly razed hundreds of medium-sized Tibetan Buddhist stupas along with three larger ones. In what the CTA describes as a 'brazen act of cultural vandalism,' a newly constructed statue of Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok—the late founder and abbot of the renowned Serthar Buddhist Institute—was also destroyed, along with a sacred statue of Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche ('Precious Master' in Tibetan), a revered figure in Vajrayana Buddhism.
'These acts have left the local Tibetan community deeply traumatised,' the report notes, adding that Chinese authorities have since sealed off the area and imposed strict surveillance, detaining anyone who attempts to share information about the incident. Locals reportedly face immediate arrest on charges of 'leaking state secrets.'
The CTA report also states that Chinese officials have justified the destruction on the grounds that the stupas were built on 'government land' and allegedly violated undisclosed regulations. All debris from the demolition has reportedly been cleared, effectively erasing physical traces of the centuries-old symbols of faith.