Press Release: Tibet Activist Goes Missing
September 14, 2007
Tibet Activist and Researcher Mr CA Kallianpur (54) has gone missing since September 11, 2007, and there has been no news of him up to now. Kallianpur, who is the National Coordinator of Friends of Tibet, was travelling from Bombay to New Delhi to organise a conference on “India’s Foreign Policy on China” at the India International Centre, New Delhi to be held on September 13, 2007.
He was travelling by Paschim Express (2925) with his Tatkal ticket but never reached the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi, where he was supposed to reach by 11:30am on September 12, 2007. Family and friends of Kallianpur have been frantically searching for him since then. Both the Railway Police Station at Bandra in Mumbai and New Delhi refused to accept missing person reports, saying that they are not duty bound to do so in this case. However, the police stations agreed to keep personal details of the missing person and the search party’s contact details.
Through our efforts, we could trace the mobile number, which Kallianpur was carrying at the time of travelling, to Jaipur in the Rajasthan circle and which was picked up by someone named Jeetendra on September 12, 2007 at 6:39pm and at 6:49pm. We could also hear the voices of some other people in the background. The mobile is switched off since yesterday.
Though we believe that robbery was the reason behind his disappearance, we do not rule out other possibilities due to the seriousness of the work he is involved with. He was on his way to New Delhi to coordinate a panel discussion on “India’s China Policy- Need for an Overhaul” organised by Friends of Tibet on September 13, 2007. It was conceptualised by Kallianpur himself with speakers like: Prof Bharat Karnad (National Security Studies, Centre for Policy Research), Dr Mohan Guruswamy (Centre for Policy Alternatives Society) Dr Shrikanth Kondapalli (Chinese Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University) and Dr LL Mehrotra (Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs).
What further fuels the suspicion of foul play and motives beyond robbery, is that in a similar case, only about 18 days ago (August 24, 2007) Geenpeace and Friends of Tibet Campaigner VJ Jose was drugged on a train while returning from New Delhi to Kerala was found unconscious at Jhansi railway station. There were marks of severe beatings on his feet.
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Personal details: Height 5.3 feet, wheatish complexion, speaks Hindi, English, Marathi and Konkani. He was carrying a brown suitcase while travelling. Usually wears trousers and full-sleeved shirts. He has streaks of gray hair though he keeps it short. He wears spectacles all the time.
Any information on Kallianpur would be highly appreciated. Please contact: 9833191592 (Sethu Das), 9418079832, 9971448216 (Tenzin Tsundue) or email:support@friendsoftibet.org
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Friends of Tibet, PO Box: 16674, Bombay 400050, India.
Friends of Tibet is a people’s movement to keep alive the issue of Tibet through direct action. Our activities are aimed at ending China’s occupation of Tibet and the suffering of the Tibetan people. Friends of Tibet supports the continued struggle of the Tibetan people for independence.
To know more, visit: www.friendsoftibet.org
