Kochi: The protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet has its echo in the city. Anxiety over the repression of Tibetan freedom movement was evident in a discussion organised in Kochi on Saturday, March 29, 2008.
The discussion on ‘Chinese Aggression on Tibet’, jointly organised by Friends of Tibet and Design & People was moderated by Appu Jacob John, a Friends of Tibet Campaigner.
Speaking on the occasion, Sebastian Paul, Member of Parliament said that China should not be so highly sensitive to the Tibetan dissidents. The Chinese are becoming nervous. He admitted that political leaders in Kerala had limitations in openly supporting the Tibetans with their anti-China protests. He said that many countries were supporting the Tibetans with dubious political interest. Honouring the Dalai Lama with Nobel Prize for peace was such example, he said.
”Tibetans have their right to decide the destiny of their Nation and I hope there will be a honest dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership. And no Tibetan can go back in their demand for independence,” Dr Sebastian Paul said. He also reminded Beijing that the ongoing violence in Tibet has nothing to do with the upcoming Olympics but a genuine people’s movement for feedom.
Sanskrit University Vice Chancellor KS Radhakrishnan was of the opinion that the Tibetan issue was the byproduct of the Communist intolerance.
”Annihilating the dissidents is the Communist method and that is exactly what is happening in Tibet,” he said. He also said that a dialogue with the dissidents was necessary for preserving democratic culture. The Tibetans have rightly taken the advantage of Olympics to showcase before the world the precarious state of their citizens, Dr Radhakrishnan said. ”A country which had no shame in justifying the massacre at Tiananmen Square will have no shame in its horrific deeds in Tibet,” he added.
Cartoonist CJ Yesudasan said that the media should play a pivotal role in highlighting the issue of Tibetans. ”When the Olympics flame reaches India on April 17, all of us should be ready for a protest. Not because we are against the Olympics, but because we are lovers of freedom,” he said. He criticised the silence of the media persons including political cartoonists in India when it comes to Tibet. He said that most of them busy criticising the American invasion on Iraq while keeping mum on the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Advocate Joshy Jacob representing Samajwadi Jana Parishad, Advocate N Nagsereshan representing Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Lhakpa Phuntsok, of Tibetan refugees living in Kerala, Sethu Das of Friends of Tibet, Geo Jose of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Fr Prashant of CMI were present and spoke at the function.
The solidarity meet for Tibet concluded with Friends of Tibet, Human Rights Law Network, Design & People, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Snehita and Samajwadi Jana Parishad taking a pledge to work together to expose China’s crimes against humanity and towards Tibet’s independence.
