By Tendar Tsering
DHARAMSHALA, September 10: The 11 monks from a Tibetan monastery in south India are into their first week of their all India march hunger strike protest.
The monks from Gaden Jangtse monastery, Mundgod reached Chennai on September 8 after carrying their protest to Baroda in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Tibetan students in Chennai, under the aegis of the Tibetan Students’ Association of Madras (TSAM) joined the monks for a day-fast and peace march at one of Chennai’s busiest shopping hubs.
Speaking to Phayul, Rinchen Namgyal, president of TSAM said that over a hundred students joined in the fast held near Spencer Plaza, Chennai’s largest shopping mall.
Lobsang Jampa, a monk participating in the march said that Tibetans in Tibet are risking their lives with the hope that Tibetans in exile will internationalise the issue of Tibet.
“We can’t remain as silent spectators in a free country like India. Our brothers and sisters are suffering under China,” said the monk.
With the help of Tibetans and Tibet supporters, the monks have been holding demonstrations and hunger strikes while distributing Tibet pamphlets in major Indian studies.
“Tibetan Students in the city helped us in organising the demonstration,” Jampa told Phayul over phone. “Tibetans everywhere; be it in Pune, Baroda or Chennai, all are very helpful and inspiring.”
The monks began their campaign on September 3 at Pune and will be culminating their march hunger strike in Dharamshala with a four-day hunger strike after touring the major Indian cities.
