By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, June 30: A senior leader of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Indresh Kumar today met with the Tibetan Prime Minister Dr Lobsang Sangay here before interacting with local Tibetans at Tibetan Settlement Hall in McLeod Ganj.
Also present at the talk was Tibetan Home Minister Dolma Gyari, Ngodup Dorjee, Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations; representatives of local Tibet support groups and local Tibetans.
On the invitation of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Tibetan Prime Minister Dr. Lobsang Sangay was invited to the oath taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It is the first time that Tibetan Prime Minister was invited to the oath taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister. This shows India somehow recognizes Tibet as a nation and it irked the Chinese government. This should have happened 20 or 30 years ago, but it happened now,” Kumar said.
He further said that young Tibetans who were born in India should not called refugees. “For a very long time, you have been living here, your ancestors came here as refugees. You are born here. You are not a refugee; those who came here five or six decades ago are.”
Speaking about Tibet’s struggle, he said, “Tibet should continue its path of non-violence in resolving Tibet’s issue and amplify its activism.”
He added, “If Tibetans proposed, we and the present government can provide full support and help in the betterment of Tibetans’ lifestyle, health, education, employment, business, running the administration and many others.”
Indresh is a longtime supporter of Tibet and had co-founded Indo-Tibet Friendship Society. He also met with the Tibetan Speaker Penpa Tsering, Deputy Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and representatives of Tibetan NGOs.
Dolma Gyari thanked Indresh for all his support and expressed her hope that the new government will continue its help to the Tibetans.
