Tibetan flags are raised in the Talkatora Stadium New Delhi on the first day of the Solidarity Rally, with former deputy Prime Minister of India LK Advani, and Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay
A Tibet resolution may be proposed and even passed in the Indian Parliament, thanks to lobbying by Central Tibetan Adminstration parliamentary delegations in several Indian states during the month of January, according to the Tibetan Review.
In the largest and most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, Public Works Department minister Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav pledged to raise the issue in Parliament in a letter written to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In West Bengal, the speaker of the state assembly, Mr Biman Banerjee, advised the Tibetan delegation to seek an ‘All-Party Parliamentary resolution on the crisis in Tibet’. In New Delhi, the Indian parliamentarians expressed solidarity and assured unwavering support for Tibet.
The ‘Solidarity with Tibet’ campaign is a joint initiative of the Kashag (Cabinet) and Parliament-in-exile of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), with the objective to raise awareness about the current Tibetan crisis in view of the self-immolations which are now nearing 100 in number, and to garner international support.
As part of this initiative, three parliamentary delegations of 6 MPs each, divided into North, North-East and South Zones, have been visiting several Indian states during January. In each state, the delegations held meetings with important leaders and dignitaries, including Chief Ministers, Governors, leaders of the opposition, members of the legislative assembly, eminent scholars and spiritual heads. They also held press conferences, public rallies and candle-lit vigils in each state, that were well-attended by both local Tibetans and Indian supporters. The statements made by the Indian heads of state in response has been very positive and encouraging, with several important dignitaries expressing a deep concern for the Tibetan cause, and pledging their support.
At the time of writing this article, delegations have already visited J & K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal,
Solidarity Rally in Patna
West Bengal, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Pondicherry and Chennai. In the second leg of the campaign they will visit Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Panaji, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jaipur.
The Parliamentary lobbying will be followed by a mass rally in Delhi. An expected 5,000 Tibetans, and around 1,500 Indian supporters will converge from all over India, Nepal and Bhutan for the ‘Tibetan People’s Solidarity Campaign.’
Conforming with resolutions arrived at under Article 59 of the Tibetan charter, the Kashag and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile is jointly organising a 4-day mass rally, starting on 30 January, which aims to express solidarity with the supreme sacrifices of Tibetans inside Tibet, while calling for urgent diplomatic intervention to end the crisis inside Tibet.
Statements made in the North zone
J & K Chief Minister Shri Omar Abdullah: ““The leaders of the Chinese government very well know that the struggle carried on by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is for autonomy in Tibet. Presently, Hong Kong and Macau enjoy a special autonomous status under the Chinese rule and I find China’s reluctance on Tibet hard to understand.”
the former Chief minister of Bihar Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav expressed his support for the Tibetan cause and strongly urged the Tibetans to “never stop until Tibetans get their homeland back.”
Statements made in the South zone
Honorable Governor of the Karnataka State Mr. H.R. Bhardwaj, said “His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a highly compassionate person and a messenger of world peace. His presence is a strength for us and his followers are like our brothers and sisters”. He also stated that, “It is very tragic that Tibetans have to self-immolate for their basic human rights”.
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Sri Kiran Kumar Reddy, assured the Tibetan parliamentarians that he will forward the memorandum to the Central Government in New Delhi for appropriate attention and action.
Kerala Chief Minister Sri Oommen Chandy assured the delegates that, ‘Despite political limitations, our full support, love and affections are with the Tibetans. You are fighting for a good cause’.
Statements made in the North East Zone
The Tibetan parliamentary delegation with Gov. MC Bhandare at Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Governor of West Bengal, Shri M.K Narayanan stated, “India has and will never dither in championing the cause of
Tibet, but in the wake of the rampant human rights violations inside Tibet, the Tibetans must adopt a nuanced position and a forward strategy to resolve the crisis.”
Governor of the State of Odisha Shri Murli Chandrakant Bhandare expressed anguish over ‘the prolonged suffering the
Tibetans inside Tibet are subjected to by the erroneous State policies.”
Chattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh “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.
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