CHANDIGARH – The Sector 17 plaza reverberated with the strains of the Tibetan national anthem on Monday afternoon as a 80-strong group of Tibetans-in-exile staged a demonstration in support of their demands.
The Tibetans, who are on a “Freedom March” from Dharamshala to New Delhi are demanding an end to the ‘repressive’ policies of the Chinese government in Tibet.
They have called for a visit of U N representatives to Tibet to monitor the situation and stop the “unfair trials” of Tibetan political prisoners.
With members drawn mainly from the Tibetan Youth Congress, the group is comprised of 25 women and 55 men with the eldest member aged 80 and the youngest one 19.
The demonstrators trooped into Sector 17 at around 12.30 pm and took a round of the sector, with each one carrying the Tibetan national flag and shouting slogans, before gathering at the plaza.
Talking to Times News Network, TYC information secretary Ghadong Jigme said that the Tibetans were grateful to the Indian government for supporting them for the last over 40 years. About the recent thaw in Indo-China relations, he said that a feeling of insecurity had crept in the community after the visit of Indian Prime Minister A B Vajpayee to China .
He said that the TYC was in touch with some NGOs for presenting the videotaped proceedings of the freedom march to the UN.
On whether the Dalai Lama supported the freedom march, Jigme said that it was purely an initiative of the TYC. “We feel that the youth should also come forward to shoulder greater responsibilities,” he said.
TYC joint secretary Dolma Choephel said that the marchers will submit a memorandum comprising a charter of demands to the Union government and the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on March 10. She said that the march had received immense support from the masses in villages and towns along the way.
