DHARAMSHALA, January 22: A Tibetan parliamentary delegation currently on a lobbying tour for international intervention in the ongoing crisis in Tibet, concluded a four-day campaign in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh yesterday after meeting the state Governor, Chief Minister, and other senior political leaders.
The north-east zone Tibetan parliamentary delegation, on their third leg of the month-long lobbying campaign, met with the Honourable Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh at his residence on January 19 in the state capital Raipur.
According to Tibetan MP and member of the delegation, Dhardon Sharling, CM Dr Raman “reiterated his party ‘Bharatiya Janata Party’s’ resolute commitment to backing the Tibetan cause and assured that the State Government will deliver its best to facilitate the Tibetan hamlets in his state.”
The next day, the four Tibetan MPs held an hour-long meeting with the Honourable Governor of the State, Shekhar Dutt at the Raj Bhavan. Governor Dutt stressed on the importance of “amassing mass support from the Indian public for the political movement” and advised that the Tibetan presence must be made felt in the “heartland and hinterland of India.”
“This could potentially boost interest in Tibet and thereby augment the general public interest to that of specific public interest,” Governor Dutt told the Tibetan delegation.
The Tibetan MPs also met with senior ministers of the state cabinet, including Chandrashekar Sahoo, Minister for Agriculture, Brij Mohan Aggarwal, Minister for Education and Tourism, and Vikram Usandi, Minister for Forest. The ministers pledged support of the state government for the Tibetan struggle, Dhardon said.
The Tibetan delegation also met with Sohan Potai, Member of Parliament and Sevak Ram Netan, MLA, both senior leaders of the state ruling party, BJP. The leaders further pledged the support of their 12 MPs (10 at Lok Sabha and 2 at Rajya Sabha) for the tabling and passing of an ‘All-India Parliamentary resolution on the Tibet crisis.’
During their meetings, the Tibetan MPs appealed the Indian leaders to exert diplomatic pressure on China and demonstrate “substantial and public expressions of solidarity and support” amid the ongoing wave of self-immolation protests inside Tibet and the subsequent crackdown by Chinese government.
Since 2009, as many as 97 known Tibetans have set themselves on fire inside Tibet in protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet and demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. The month of January has already seen the two fiery deaths of Tsering Tashi, 22 and Drubchog, 28.
On the final day of their campaigning in Chhattisgarh, the north-east zone Tibetan Parliamentary delegation addressed a press conference at the Raipur press club and held a mass solidarity rally in the city.
