“Liberation of Tibet is must not only for the protection of Tibetan culture, but also for the security of India. We should support the cause of Tibet liberation with our full might,? said Shri Indresh Kumar, member of RSS National Executive. Speaking at a seminar organised in New Delhi by Himalaya Parivar and Bharat-Tibet Sahayog Manch on April 7, he said the martyrs of Tibet are the lighthouse for the whole humanity and they should be honoured in that way. China should stop the atrocities on Tibetan agitators and should resolve the issue forthwith through dialogue with the Dalai Lama.
He said Tibet has never been a part of China and it would have to be liberated at any cost. Even the Chinese history books published 100 years back do not have any mention of Tibet, its geography, culture, language, dresses etc. and the Great Wall of China also does not cover Tibet. He said India committed a mistake in understanding the real intention of China from 1954 to 1962 and today also we are committing the same mistake. ?People of India should realise this truth. If the people of India can force the world'slargest empire to free India, they, by supporting the Tibetan cause, can also force China to free Tibet,? he said.
Speaking at the function organised to show solidarity with Tibetans, Shri Yashwant Sinha, former External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader, said Tibet has no future without getting liberation from China. He said people of India are always with the Dalai Lama and he should take up the cause of Tibet more vigorously. He said India should not afraid of China. ?There is much difference in the India of 1962 and that of 2008. After 1962, our leaders showed lack of self-confidence. That is why we still afraid of China. Our Prime Minister goes to Arunachal Pradesh, but avoids going to Twang, which shows his fear,? he added.
Shri Sinha stressed the need to build a strong public opinion in favour of Tibet and added that we should not stop till justice is done with the Tibetans. He said the Government of India appears to be afraid of raising the Tibet issue, as it fears that China would bring up the question of Kashmir. But the two are very different issues. There are ample evidences that Kahsmir has been an integral part of India, while China does not have any historical data establishing that Tibet has been its part. China has also never supported us on the issue of J&K rather it opposed us on it.
Describing the UPA government'spolicy on Tibet as ?unfortunate? he asked, if China could vociferously assert its claim on Tibet without having any historical evidence, why should India not show the same grit when Beijing lays claim on Arunachal Pradesh. He said it is regrettable that while countries, which have no historical or spiritual links with Tibet, have spoken against the atrocities on Tibetans by the Chinese authorities, the Government of India has not shown any such concern.
Shri Prakash Javadekar, BJP spokesperson, said India should learn a lesson from the past. He drew the attention towards New Delhi'sfailure to protest when India'sAmbassador to Beijing was summoned to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the middle of night a few weeks ago. He also said we should not forget that China has helped the insurgents in Nagaland and Manipur in their anti-India campaigns.
Shri Balbir Punj, senior journalist, said supporting the cause of Tibet today is securing the future of India. He said India should not have accepted the Chinese control over Tibet and people of both Tibet and India have paid a heavy price for this mistake.
Meanwhile, 20 activists of Bharat-Tibet Sahayog Manch, Himalaya Parivar, Hindu Manch, ABVP and other organisations were arrested at India Gate on April 7 when they were paying homage to the martyrs of Tibetan freedom movement through a candle march. Shri Indresh Kumar, patron of the Manch, was also present on the occasion. The processionists were reciting the Gayarti Mantra and lightening the candles when police raised objection, citing the Government of India notification that nobody can indulge in anti-China activities. While the Tibetan supporters refused to budge, police swiftly arrested 20 activists including Shri Kuldip Agnihotri of Bharat-Tibet Sahayog Manch, Shri Ved Prakash Gupta of Hindu Manch and slapped a criminal case under Sections 107 and 151 at Tilak Marg police station. They were released on bail the next day granted by Special Executive Magistrate.
