The Seoul Times

Guwahati — Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, an umbrella body of Indians supporting the Tibet Mukti Sadhana (Tibetan freedom movement) has decided to observe forthcoming Oct. 20, 2021 as a protest day against the Communist regime in Beijing as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attacked simultaneously on Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh (then North East Frontier Agency) on this date in 1962.

The India-Tibetan cooperation forum along with other India-Tibet support groups has decided to organize the protest demonstration to send a strong message to Beijing asserting that India would safeguard its territory at any cost. The other message to New Delhi is intended to narrate that Sino-India relations can not progress unless the issue of Tibet is amicably resolved and His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama regains his Potala palace in a dignified manner.

The main function is scheduled to be held in Tawang of Arunachal Pradesh, which often Beijing claims as the southern part of occupied Tibet. Planned to organize it with supports from India-Tibet support groups, the program is likely to be graced by newly elected Sikyong (President of Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamshala) Penpa Tsering, who is recognized as the highest political leader for the exile Tibetans across the world.

The visiting Tibetan president is also scheduled to meet representatives of civil society groups and media personalities in Guwahati, address a press meet in Tezpur, visit Tibetan settlements in Shillong, Tezu, Miao, Tenzingang, Bomdila, Tuting, etc and also pay respects to Mother Goddess Kamakhya and mighty river Brahmaputra which originates in Tibet.

Paying tributes to all Indian soldiers who made supreme sacrifices during the Chinese aggression and also commemorating Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, who created some extra ordinary songs on Burha Luit (Brahmaputra) along with the people in the valley and after the 1962 war he dared to term China as an enemy nation through his immortal song, are also on the card.

“Aggressive Chinese forces showed utter disrespects to the rules framed by Panchsheel treaty, signed by China and India on April 29, 1954. We want to protest against the assault over India’s trust on the Beijing administration,” said Rinchen Khandu Khrimey, national convenor for the core group for Tibetan cause — India, while addressing a selected nationalist citizens on July 30, 2021 in the city.

The former member of Indian Parliament, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, commented that Tibet is the real neighbor to India (not China) and its independence would benefit the largest democracy in the globe tremendously. Khrimey claimed that as Tibet is with the truth, it would soon break the clutches of China and emerge as a sovereign nation.

He also hinted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent birthday wishes to HH Dalai Lama brought a fresh hope for the millions of Tibetans. Khrimey however expected more from the energetic saffron leader so that the exile Tibetans can return back to the Himalayan landscape and lead a peaceful life under a progressive democratic government after shifting from Dharamshala to Lhasa.

Addressing the meeting, Soumyadeep Datta, regional convener of the core group, stated that China was waging an ecological war against India as it was exploiting the huge fresh water resource in the Tibetan plateau and also diverting a huge volume of the water from Yarlung Tsangpo affecting the Brahmaputra valley civilization. A brochure documenting the Tibetan movement in Assamese was also released.

Conducted by Jigmey Tsultrim from India Tibet coordination office, the meeting was also addressed by dedicated Tibet support group leaders Surendra Kumar, SK Chandravanshi, Ruby Mukherjee, Wangdi Dorjee Khrimey, Urvashi Mahanta, along with the members of Free Tibet — A voice from Assam namely Rupam Barua, Jagadindra Raichoudhury, Pramod Kalita, Nayan Bhuyan, Novanita Sarma, Kankana Das, etc.

Nava Thakuria, who serves as a special correspondent for The Seoul Times, is based in Guwahati of Northeast India. He also contributes articles for many media outlets based in different parts of the glove, and can be contacted at navathakuria@gmail.com