By Tenzin Pema Chashar
Bangalore, August 10 – A seminar on ‘Indo-China relations vis-a-vis Tibet,’ organised by the South Zone Tibetan Settlements Solidarity Committee, received a rousing response from the nearly 300 participants that included both Indians and Tibetans. The seminar, which was held in St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, brought to the fore important issues concerning the two great Asian powers, China and India, as well as the implications that their relationship has on Tibet and on the future of the Tibetan people.
The participants included Indian residents of Bangalore, ABVP, students from National Law School and other colleges, as well as Tibetans studying and working in the city.
The eminent speakers at the seminar included Shri A.P. Venkateswaran, former Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy, Jnanpeeth awardee, Dr. P.A. Mathew, Professor of Economics at Christ College, and Mrs. Dolma Gyari, Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. All four shed light on the changing relationship between India, China and Tibet, as well as on India’s policies on Tibet, while laying special emphasis on trade relations between the two Asian giants and likely impact on Tibet from this.
Mr. Venkateswaran, during his speech, traced the history that saw Tibetans – till then a part of an independent nation – suddenly powerless, with their leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama forced to seek refuge in India for his people. He lay emphasis on the fact that the Dalai Lama chose the path of non-violence, propagating all that the great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi stood for, even as Venkateswaran spelt out the key differences between India’s Gandhi and China’s Mao-Tse-Tung . Gandhi and Mao differed in that one chose the path of non-violence whilst the other chose violence as a means to gain freedom for their land, Venkateswaran said.
The former Foreign Secretary warned that China was making a huge mistake if her government was awaiting the period after the Dalai Lama, saying he believed that at such a time, the Tibetan people may adopt a more radical approach.
Another speaker who brought to light the importance of Tibet in the context of not only India but of the world, was Mr. Ananthamurthy. At a time “…when everything is destroyed in the name of globalisation, we need the Tibetan wisdom, Tibetan culture and the Tibetan way of life,” he said. The academic also added that Tibet’s future was especially important to India as the former had preserved much of India’s great texts of historical and spiritual value.
Ananthamurthy drew loud applause from the audience when he proclaimed “I want Tibet to be free,” while stressing on the need for a plural society in the midst of globalization, where the whole world runs the risk of eating, drinking and wearing the same things.
Dr. Mathew also agreed, but cited the shift in the economic relationship between India and China and the impact that this has on Tibet. He negated the view that China was a communist nation, adding that China lost this status when Deng Xiao-ping said, “It doesn’t matter if the cat is white or black, as long as it catches the mice.” China was instead a “market economy,” that was choosing to blur its political issues with many nations for the convergence of interest in trade, since they were aware that for economics to function, peace and the right environment was needed.
Mathew painted a somewhat gloomy picture when he spoke about the kind of people that were deciding the issues that would or would not be discussed; these people included company heads who have their own interests at stake, politicians, investors and the like. He, however, cited his observation that Tibetans were forever “hopeful that Tibet will be free,” and said “hope” was a crucial quality that Tibetans had and that this was indeed very necessary.
Mrs. Dolma also spoke about this quality of “hope,” but she dwelled on the “hope” that India seemed to have on China each time she wants the other to solve a problem. She felt India was too “trusting” towards her neighbour, China, who Dolma said could not be trusted.
On India’s policy on Tibet, Dolma said the government, contrary to their oft-stated quote that theirs was a consistent policy on Tibet, had never had a consistent policy on Tibet. She cited the Indian government’s ever-changing policy on Tibet since the time India gained independence till date. The Deputy Speaker “hoped” the Indian government would work towards a more long-lasting solution to the Tibetan issue, which in the end would be beneficial to India as well as to South Asia, she said, citing China’s growing misuse of Tibet’s pristine environment and her many water bodies for China’s benefits.
A member from the audience, who had recently visited Tibet, seconded Dolma’s view, while other Indians gathered at the seminar pledged their support for the Tibetan people and urged others in the city to actively raise their voice in protest against the growing suppression within occupied Tibet.
Dolma also urged the Indians gathered to spread awareness about the Tibetan issue among their own community, which she said would help bring about a “people’s mass movement” in the country. The Deputy Speaker profusely thanked India for all that India had done for the Tibetans till date, while also thanking the South Zone Solidarity Committee for organizing such an important event that brought together Indians and Tibetans.
“The aim of holding today’s seminar was to reach out to Indian academics, scholars and youngsters. And I felt that we had a lot of students from law and journalism colleges, for whom the subject was very relevant. So based on the interaction we had from them, and the kind of interest they showed, I certainly feel that the event was a success,” Mrs. Tsering Youdon, Chairperson of the South Zone Tibetan Solidarity Committee, said.
Ms.Youdon, also a Member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, added that based on the success of today’s event, the committee would seriously consider holding more such events to spread awareness among the Indian community.
The Tibetan Solidarity Committee is an initiative by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, started after the recent crisis that sprung in Tibet following the March 10 protests.
