Himalaya Calling

The following sections are included:

• DEDICATION
• FOREWORD
• PREFACE
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• CONTENTS

Generations have been led to believe that ‘India and China are two adjacent civilizations separated by the largely impassable Himalaya and the forbidding Tibetan plateau’. For years, this view has been repeatedly taught in schools and colleges. As a result the present day Indian or Chinese see each other from different worlds. This premise is mistaken and misleading. As a matter of fact, had there not been the emergence of the Himalaya and Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau 青藏高原 there would not have been the two great civilizations known distinctly as China and India. We should say, ‘India and China are two adjacent civilizations developed under the umbrella of the towering Himalaya and the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau’…

So far, I have tried to elevate the mindset of readers to look at the entire picture from the beginning of time. We have been looking at the ‘Himalaya Sphere’ in which China and India have had a shared existence, sometimes glossing over the fact that they later on develop different sociopolitical-economic-cultural entities, each with its own idiosyncrasies. Only at the end, Tagore appears to advise the Chinese: ‘Knowing your own civilization and culture is important’ — which implicitly separates India from China. Let us now see the historical reality of the separate identities of China and India and explore the thread of continuity of the ‘Himalaya Sphere’. The readers will come to their own conclusions whether the spirit of ‘Himalaya Sphere’ permeates through the ages, or whether the two civilizations grew in isolation…

Many people only view China–India relations from the point of view of state-to-state relations and completely ignore the influence of civilization. This is also evident when they think of the history of both countries. China and India ought to be considered as civilization-states, while being surrounded by nation-states. Let us investigate the state-to-state relations between China and India, which was, of course, always present.

‘Himalaya Sphere’ is not a sphere with a visible border. We cannot categorize it as a ‘universe’, a ‘world’, a ‘region’, a ‘commonwealth’, or a ‘comity’ because these are concepts of our ‘nation-states’ world that ill-fit in the ‘Himalaya Sphere’ which exists in the spiritual and civilizational arena. ‘Himalaya Sphere’ is the cradle and home of two civilization twins — China and India — along with other civilizations and cultures, but it is neither the geographical nor the conceptual superstructure of China-plus-India-plus-other-lands world. I am not saying ‘Himalaya Sphere’ is just an illusion, nor is ‘Himalaya Sphere’ a myth. It is like an environment that provides air and water for the civilization twins to live and grow, to remain verdant. As Tagore observed, China and India never tried to destroy each other and render each other into ruins. On the contrary, each is a blessing, inspiration, encouragement, supporter, and guarantee for the long life and sustainability of the other. Why? It is because of ‘Himalaya Sphere’…

The following sections are included:

• INDEX
• PHOTO GALLERY