DHARAMSHALA, May 22: Political leaders of the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which shares its borders with Tibet, have come out in support for the resolution of the ongoing crisis inside Tibet.
Leaders of the state, including the state chief minister, met with a three- member Tibetan parliamentary delegation led by former speaker Pema Jugney.
The Tibetan MPs met with Honorable Chief Minister Nabam Tuku in the state capital Itanagar during their five-day lobbying effort.
According to the Tibetan delegates, CM Tuku expressed solidarity with the aspirations of the Tibetan people inside Tibet and said he feels connected to Tibet socially and culturally.
“The chief minister expressed admiration for the exile Tibetan administration and the exile Tibetans’ perseverance that persists despite all odds,” Tibetan MP Dhardon Sharling, who is a member of the delegation said.
“Taking stock of China’s diplomatic maneuvers in the contentious border row between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh, the CM affirmed that ‘practically Arunachal Pradesh shares border with Tibet and not with China,’” she added.
The Tibetan MPs also called on Mukut Mithi, Rajya Sabha MP of the ruling Congress Party and former CM, who pledged his party’s support for the passing of an ‘All-Party Parliamentary Resolution on Tibet Crisis.’
Members of the State Legislative Assembly, Karya Bagang and Passang Dorjee Sona also received the Tibetan parliamentary delegation and “assured State support for the Tibetan movement, particularly on Socio-Cultural avenues.”
On May 20, the Tibetan MPs took part in a symposium on Tibet and India along with leaders of the four major political parties of the State.
The symposium addressed numerous bilateral issues such as water sharing and border issues affecting Tibet and India, particularly Arunachal Pradesh.
The leaders, representing their respective parties, “unequivocally pledged support-politically and socially for Tibet and Tibetans in Tibet and in exile and resolved to submit a joint letter to the Chief Minister on the Tibet crisis.”
The Tibetan delegation wrapped up the seventh leg of North-East zone lobby campaign on Tuesday with a press conference in the state capital.
After successful lobbying campaigns in West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh the North-East zone delegation will visit Meghalaya for the ‘All -India Parliamentary Lobby Campaign.’
The Dharamshala based Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile initiated the lobbying campaign as part of the exile Tibetan administration’s attempts at garnering wider support for international intervention in the ongoing crisis inside Tibet.
Since 2009, as many as 117 Tibetans living under China’s rule have set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.
