New Delhi August 4 –The national highway number one saw a massive jam of people this morning as more than 3000 Tibetans were stopped by police and other reserved forces from proceeding towards the venue of a peaceful sporting event named ‘International Run for Tibet’ to be held later today.
Sources say that the police have given no reason except that they received orders from ‘higher authorities’. The Indian government seemed to have anticipated clashes with its forces by the Tibetans as hundreds of jawans from CRPF (Central Reserved Police Force) and RAF (Rapid Action Force), which normally are sent to riot stricken areas, have been deployed in the Tibetan colony. Majnu ka Tilla which is a transit for Tibetans traveling within India and abroad proved an easy target for the Indian government to trap the Tibetans who claim that the event that they are participating in is non-political.
The move believed to be taken by the Indian government under pressure from China had shocked many Tibetans and their supporters.
Organizers are trying to chalk out a solution to the blockade that might be looked by many as yet another lowly act of India’s kowtowing to China after the recent denial of permission by the Ministry of External Affairs to hold the event inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
A 6 kilometre run is to begin from outside of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and a football match between the Tibetan national team and Delhi XI Star is to be played at sports complex, Jasola, in south Delhi.
But whether the organizers will be able to convince the authorities and hold the event as scheduled is still not clear as the Indian riot forces still continue to block the Tibetans.
At the time of this report going online, the organizers are negotiating with the authorities.
Phayul will post updates as we receive more information
