By Tenzin Sangmo
New Delhi, July 5 – The All India Tibet Support Groups Special Conference held in Chandigarh June 28-29 generated mass support from members of the BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party and other political parties from the Himalayan region as well as women volunteers and students who came out in large numbers at the two day convention.
A press conference was held at the India Women’s Press Corps in New Delhi today to address the special action plans drafted at the Conference late last month. The Core Group for Tibetan Cause represented by Dr. NK Trikha, National Convener of the Group, Dr. Anand Kumar, National Co-convener and Regional Convener of the East Surendra Kumar highlighted various activities that will be undertaken by all support groups in the coming six months across India.
They have designed a month long signature campaign; protests against China on August 8 which marks the beginning of the Beijing Olympics; a special event on August 16, the Indian Rakshabandhan Day where Tibetan women will tie Rakhi on the wrists of important political and social leaders; to the Arunachal March where participants will walk from Tawang to the Indo-Tibet border and zonal conventions scheduled to be held at six regions late in the year.
The Convention also sketched the Chandigarh Declaration urging:
- That the United Nations must organize a special emergency session of the Security Council, the Human Rights Commission, special fact finding mission to visit Tibet including monasteries and the prisons, and the UN General Council to discuss the tragedy of Tibet and take effective steps for dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese authorities.
- That the People’s Republic of China must release political prisoners in Tibet including the Panchen Lama and honor the appeal of the international community to stop cultural genocide in Tibet.
- That the government of India must play a constructive role for dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese authorities as without Swaraj in Tibet there cannot be security of Indian borders in the Himalayan region.
