Tibet has been occupied for over fifty years. This book presents the first serious political analysis of the Tibetan independence movement. It is also the first to view the Tibetan struggle from a comparative perspective. The book seeks to examine the role of resistance, religion and politics in the Tibetan independence movement, and compares and contrasts the course and tactics of the movement with those of India. This book examines two major methods of Tibetan resistance: guerilla warfare, and the aforementioned hunger strike. Particularly interesting is the fact that both these methods have been condemned by the Dalai Lama for their inappropriateness in a Buddhist setting. There is a serious need to move away from analysing Tibet as a purely religious and cultural entity. By examining the types of resistance offered by the Tibetans against the Chinese, lessons can be drawn about the continuing reliance on the dual relationship of religion and politics in Tibetan society. The ambition of the book is to rectify the problem that the Tibetan independence movement has not been taken seriously from a political perspective.
The book is particularly concerned with the relationship between Buddhism and Tibetan politics and resistance, and compares this with the relationship between Hindusim and Gandhian political thought, and the impact of religion upon the Indian nationalist movement. The justification for this comparison is the admiration that the Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, holds for Mahatma Gandhi. This book also seeks to expand on the limited literature concerning violent resistance in Tibet.