Kolkata, January 9, 2013: The North East Zone Tibetan Parliamentary delegation today met with the honorable Governor of West Bengal, Shri M.K Narayanan at Raj Bhavan, Kolkata.
While expressing 'unflinching support of the Indian Government towards the Tibetan people,' the Governor said that 'the Tibetans inside Tibet have the right to live with dignity.'
"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 Tibetan side must adopt a nuanced position and a forward strategy to resolve the crisis," M.K Narayanan stated.
M.K Narayanan's affiliation with the Tibetan cause began in 1960 when as a staff of the Intelligence Bureau of the Indian Government he oversaw the creation of the Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppee, Karnataka, the Tibetan delegates stated in their statement.
The 4-member Parliamentary delegation to the Indian state, led by former speaker and member of TPIE, Pema Jungney, include Serta Tsultrim, Yangchen Dolkar and Dhardon Sharling, currently on the "all India Solidarity with Tibet" campaign initiated by the exile Tibetan Parliament, to seek support for India's intervention in the ongoing crisis in Tibet.
While deeming the steadfast support of the Indian Government and its people towards the Tibetan people as significant, the delegation appealed the Indian leaders for substantial expressions of solidarity and support amid the unprecedented spate of self-immolations by Tibetans inside Tibet and the subsequent deepening crackdown by Chinese Government.
The delegates also urged the Government of India to engage in urgent diplomatic actions pressuring the Chinese Government on various fronts.
Over the last 3 days, the delegation also met with Smt Deepa Das Munshi - Union Minister of State for Urban Development, Shri Pradip Bhattachariya - Member of Rajya Sabha and President of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, Shri Rachhpal Singh - Minister of State for Planning, Shri Dr. Ramendranath - MLA, Shri Aboni Joardar – MLA, Shri Samares Das – MLA, Shri Sukhbilan Barma MLA, Mr. Bani Singh Roy - Vice President of Trinamool Congress Party.
They remained unequivocal in condemning the repressive Chinese policies and demonstrated solidarity with the peaceful resistance of Tibetans inside Tibet.
A meeting with Shri Biman Banerjee, Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly is slated for tomorrow. The lobby team will engage in similar lobby and direct outreach campaign in Kolkata for the next 2 days, specifications include meeting with the West Bengal Minister for Youth Affairs, a press conference at Bengal Chambers and a mass-led solidarity rally in Kolkatta.
In the light of the gross human rights violations inside Tibet, the situation in Tibet is exacerbated by a brutal crackdown by the Chinese government on any forms of peaceful expressions for freedom by the Tibetan people, thus deepening the anguish Tibetans feel.
This year the Tibetan Parliament in exile launched a massive 'All-India Lobby Campaign' to highlight the critical situation inside Tibet and to seek timely support of the Indian leaders and people while alongside calling for immediate global intervention to end the crisis inside Tibet.
The North East zone Parliamentary delegation will visit West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, in the first phase of the month-long all-India lobby campaign and Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim and Nagaland during the second phase of the lobby campaign.
