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Tibet a lost cause as India treads middle path
Published on Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 03:18, Updated on Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 10:55 in World section
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The world is watching. That's how the international reaction to the simmering protests in Tibet can be best described. The uproar has reared its head in neighbouring regions and international capitals like New Delhi, Kathmandu, Berlin and even Toronto.
Meanwhile, China on Monday moved in troops and tanks into Lhasa. The Chinese government also cracked down on YouTube over the weekend as a method of repressing media coverage of the protests.
Despite the outrage, most countries are cautious about China's role. The Government of India, too, says it is distressed by violence but shies away from any statement about China's violation of human rights in Tibet.
And that brings us to the question of the day that was asked on CNN-IBN show Face the Nation: Does India feel Tibet is no longer a cause worth fighting for?
On the panel of experts to debate the issue were former president of the Samta Party and sympathizer of the Free Tibet Movement Jaya Jaitly, member of Free Tibet Movement Dawa Lokyitsang and Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Taming Tibet
China's surrender deadline to pro-independence protestors in Tibet has ended. So far 13 are officially dead. In India, young Tibetans staged protests in Bangalore, Delhi and Dharamsala.
How is it that the Congress-led Government, which is so vociferous about religious freedom in states like Gujarat is silent about religious minorities in Tibet?
“If you start comparing Tibet with Gujarat then you are forgetting all notions of sovereignty.” Singhvi said and then added, “The Congress party has specifically reiterated its stand that it’s a matter of great concern. We have conveyed all the right words. Beyond that it’s a foreign country with its own sovereignty. By a dignified position in terms of international diplomacy we will deal with the issue.”
Many believe that since China is an economic behemoth that needs to do business with India, so the country should not spoil its relations with China with regard to Tibet.
Reacting to this argument Jaitly said, “We should not forget the Tiananmen Square episode. The whole world had stood up for it then and it made a difference to human rights and to China.”
“Human rights is something that should not block itself with boundaries. I am shocked that the Congress party thinks that a few diplomatic words are enough. We are in a way preventing the Tibetans from protesting in India. I wonder if Abhishek knows that a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the early 90s had said that any refugee in India has exactly the same rights as the citizen of India except the right to vote,” she added.
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URBANEYE
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India considers Tibet as a integral part of China.Since the time of Pandit Nehru,India has supported the "one china" policy.It
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Respected SIr,
here im diclosing my facts against China for the due violence creating in tibet. Tibet is a very
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It is a shame that India does not dare to offer any comments about the open genocides that have been
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It is Nehru who misled the whole world that nothing was happening in Tibet when China invaded it, if Patel
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China has been well known for its atrocities and curbing the Human Rights in their country whether it be Taiwan
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