By Mike Leonard
leonard@heraldt.com
Bloomington, IND: May 15: With every year that passes, the possibility of a free Tibet not controlled by China appears to be more and more remote.
Many publications, including a recent edition of the New Yorker, have included stories about the billions of dollars that China has poured into the fantastic engineering achievement that is the new Qinghai-Tibet rail line.
The 710-mile route zooms across what is called “the rooftop of the world” from China to the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, and reaches a height of 16,640 feet, making it the most elevated rail line in the world. The railway is so high that oxygen is pumped into the rail cabins. And the terrain is so uncertain that cooling pipes run under sections susceptible to thawing, so as to stabilize the rail bed in a permanently frozen condition.
While China touts the rail line as an economic engine to aid one of the poorest regions of Chinese rule, Tibetans see it as just another way for China to continue to populate Tibet with ethnic Han Chinese. Because of the rail line, the steady influx of Chinese into Tibet that began in 1949 has been greatly accelerated.
These things are well-known to the Dalai Lama of Tibet’s family in Bloomington. But family members and their allies remain undeterred in their quest to demand Tibetan autonomy and the preservation of Tibetan culture.
And so, later this summer, once again, Jigme Norbu, the Dalai Lama’s nephew, will lead a “March for Tibet’s Independence,” the 13th major walk or bike ride organized by the Indianapolis-based International Tibetan Independence Movement.
This year’s event will begin on June 27 at the Chinese consulate in New York City and conclude on July 4 with a rally at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
“Obviously, it’s designed to coincide with the date we celebrate American independence,” Norbu said this week. “If there is ever a time to let Americans know that Tibetans want freedom, it’s on the day when America celebrates its own freedom.”
For Norbu, it’s about more than just calling attention to the Tibetan cause, as large and noble as that is. It’s also a way of continuing the legacy of his father, retired Indiana University professor, Thubten J. Norbu, who in 1995 broke away from the “middle path” advocated by his brother, the religious and political leader of the Tibetan people, and helped form the group that advocates nothing less than true independence for Tibet.
Thubten Norbu led the first march and several others before a series of strokes made it impossible for him to take on the arduous, long-distance walks. He continues to live on the Tibetan Cultural Center grounds south of Bloomington.
“There is disagreement between my father and His Holiness,” Jigme Norbu said. “But they are brothers, and they love each other. They may argue behind closed doors, but it’s not a personal argument. They both want what is best for the 6 million Tibetans still living in Tibet, as well as the many Tibetans forced to live in exile.”
That brotherly closeness will be demonstrated once again in October when the Dalai Lama makes his fifth visit to Bloomington. The Tibetan leader will conduct teachings at the Indiana University Auditorium on Oct. 24, 25 and 26 and possibly give a public lecture during his five-day stay in Bloomington.
In a departure from previous visits, however, the Dalai Lama is not expected to conduct any public events at the Tibetan center and will use his time there to spend time with his elder brother, Jigme said.
“They have both been leaders for Tibet, and while they disagree on what strategy is best for the future of Tibet, they are still brothers,” Jigme said. “My father is alert and aware, and he’s very much looking forward to seeing His Holiness again.”
Anyone interested in participating in this summer’s walk from New York to Philadelphia can get more information by visiting www.rangzen.org on the Web or writing ITIM at P.O. Box 592, Fishers, IN 46038-0592.
