Dharamsala, January 30: If Tibet is able to commit to non-violence consistently, there is no way that China cannot change, Prime Minister of the Tibet’s Government in exile Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche reportedly said Friday.
Tibetan PM was speaking in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, where he attended an organised religious prayer meeting to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 61st death anniversary.
Veteran Gandhian Nayanbhai Desai and people from all walks of life gathered today in large numbers at the ashram, while children from various schools across the city also attended the prayer meet.
After offering prayers at Sabarmati Ashram, set up by Gandhi during India’s freedom struggle, the Tibetan PM stated that China is “not mature enough”, but assured that Tibetans would continue to tread the path of non-violence while fighting for their cause.
“Violence can destroy the entire earth. Only if we remain committed to the principle of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, change will come definitely,” Rinpoche told media persons.
Commitment to Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of non-violence will certainly usher change in the world, he added.
When asked about the conflict between Tibet and China, Rinpoche said they were in talks with the Chinese government and trying to persuade them to accept their demands.
“A non-violent approach on this issue will bring in some results,” Rinpoche said, expressing hope that the Chinese leadership will work towards finding a solution to the “Tibetan issue”.
Talks between Dalai Lama’s envoys and Beijing have come to a standstill after a “Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People” submitted by the Tibetan side at the eighth round of talks in October last year was met with Beijing’s derision.
Calling it an “an agenda of independence”, the memorandum was categorically rejected by Chinese leadership.
The Tibetan PM last month announced that the Sino-Tibetan dialogue has failed to produce any positive changes in China’s Tibet policy.
“The Tibetan side has already made all the required clarifications and brought a process of dialogue that began in 2002 to its logical conclusion,” Rinpoche said on December 10th at an official function commemorating the 60th World Human Rights Day and the 19th anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-exile in northern India.
“Therefore, the entire responsibility for the future status of our dialogues, irrespective of what it is going to be, lies squarely on the Chinese leaders,” he concluded.
