12/11/2007
India tells its ministers to boycott Dalai function
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| Written by Harjot Singh | |
| Sunday, November 11, 2007 | |
 New Delhi: When India acts, it does so without shame. Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral was to preside over a function to felicitate Dalai Lama while Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was also to be present. Gujral marked his presence, Dikshit did not show up. Reason? India's top bureaucrat, the Cabinet Secretary, sent a written order asking everyone to "avoid" the function. New Delhi wants to befriend Beijing; the Tibetian cause be damned.Dalai Lama was presented the US Congressional Gold Medal and that was the reason to felicitate him. The Gandhi Peace Foundation, the All-Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, the Core Group for the Tibetan Cause and representatives of major religions had organised Saturday’s function. The office of Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar issued what it called "an advisory" to the ministers but stated no reasons for it. Everyone seems to have gulped such an order. So much for the world's biggest democracy. New Delhi did not want to annoy Beijing which protests every time the Dalai Lama is accorded a warm reception anywhere in the world. Beijing had made known its displeasure over the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to the United States, where he had received the US Congressional Gold Medal, America’s highest civilian award, at a function attended by President George W. Bush. Bashishtha Narain Singh, MP, who is convenor of the All-Party Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, Delhi mayor Arti Mehra, scholar Kapila Vatsayan, certain diplomats, the Dalai Lama’s followers, fellow Tibetans and supporters of the Tibetan cause were in attendance. Earlier, in his address, the Dalai Lama accused China of what he called "demographic aggression", saying that his people had been reduced to a minority in his homeland under Beijing’s rule. "Every Tibetan mind lives with fear and a feeling of terror," the exiled leader said. "The population of (Tibet’s capital) Lhasa used to be 50,000 to 60,000. Now it is 300,000, of which 200,000 are Chinese," he said. For the Sikhs, Dalai Lama's concerns should make important news as the Indian government's machinations are currently in full flow to change the demography of Punjab. Some Sikh organisations have been lately raising their voice on the issue. The Dalai Lama said that Tibetans were being denied an opportunity to learn their language and monasteries were being politicised under what he called "cultural genocide." Just as in India, the Punjabi language was being marginalised increasingly and the children of the Sikhs are being weaned away from the Sikh culture and even their own religion. "It’s quite silly to criticise the Dalai Lama," he chuckled, referring to Tibetans sometimes being arrested if they did not agree to denounce him at monasteries. The 72-year-old leader said that a railway line launched last year, linking Tibet to the rest of China, was being used for "exploitation of natural resources." The Tibetan leader added that he was semi-retired, and was looking forward to retirement from his political role. "I am looking for complete retirement and (to) spending time on preparation of my next reincarnation," the Dalai Lama said. "I want to make clear: the Dalai Lama may die, (but) the Tibetan community will remain," he said to prolonged applause. The Dalai Lama said that he wanted his authority to be handed over to the Tibetan government-in-exile, based at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. |
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