Itanagar, Sep 27: Following an Indian mountaineering team’s successful ascent of an unexplored peak in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang region and named it after the sixth Dalai Lama, China has reacted angrily, calling it an “illegal operation in Chinese territory.” 

The 15-member team, from the Dirang-based National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) under the ministry of defence, successfully reached the summit last Saturday. They named the peak ‘Tsangyang Gyatso Peak’ in honour of the sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (17th-18th century CE), who was born in Tawang. The move has further intensified tensions between India and China, particularly over China’s territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as ‘Zangnan.’

While the Indian Army frequently conducts adventure expeditions, some view this as a strategic response to China’s claims on the region. Naming the peak after the Dalai Lama, an institution symbolizing Tibet’s historical independence before its annexation by Beijing, is seen as a direct affront to China. A statement from India’s defence ministry noted that the naming was a tribute to the sixth Dalai Lama’s timeless wisdom and his contributions to the Monpa community and beyond.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, responding to the development, said, “I’m not aware of what you mentioned,” but emphasized China’s long-standing position: “The area of Zangnan is Chinese territory, and it’s illegal, and null and void for India to set up the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ in Chinese territory.”

The expedition, led by NIMAS director Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal, took 15 days to scale the 6,383-metre peak. According to defence PRO Lt Col M Rawat, the peak was one of the most technically challenging in the region, requiring the team to navigate sheer ice walls, dangerous crevasses, and a two-kilometre glacier before finally conquering it.