Dharamsala, November 14. Text of an an article of Rakesh Lohumi published by Indian newspaper The Tribune. "Aware of the growing strength of China, the Tibetans in exile are planning to take their four-decade long struggle into a decisive phase by undertaking a 'march into Tibet' to liberate their motherland in March next year. The intransigent and irreconcilable attitude of the Chinese has not only made the Tibetan masses restive but also brought the realisation among the leaders of the movement that soft-peddling the issue any more will only defeat their cause. In fact, the Tibetans were left with no option but to resort to some sort of action after the Chinese leadership failed to respond to the 'realistic' proposals of the Dalai Lama. The Buddhist leader who has been spearheading the freedom struggle in exile, in which he had offered to accept a self-governing status for Tibet within China instead of complete independence. Convinced that Beijing was not sincerely interested in settling the issue, the Dal

ai Lama withdrew his offer and declared that he would consult his people to decide the future course of the movement. The proposed march from Rajghat in Delhi to Lhasa in Tibet will be undertaken around March 10, the day on which the 35th anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising falls. It will be for the first time, ever since the Chinese invaded their homeland, that the Tibetans would resort to a direct action to pursue their goal. Hectic preparations are on in various Tibetans settlements in exile for the 'March' which will, in fact,be a forerunner to the total satyagrah the Tibetans plan to launch in due course. Before that the government-in-exile will conduct a referendum among Tibetans within and outside Tibet apart of the Dalai Lama's plan to consult his people-to chalk out the future strategy. A number of important Tibetan organisations are busy building a highly motivated cadre of volunteers for the march to be organised under the aegis of Tibetan U-Tsang Association. 'It will not be a routine po

litical padyatra but an act of unflinching determination by the followers of Lord Buddha', says a spokesman of the association. Only those totally committed to truth and non-violence will be allowed to participate in the march. The volunteers are at present undergoing the process of self- purification which will enable them to carry out the task with courage and dedication. The volunteers will undergo long hours of meditation and other spiritual exercises during the process of purification which will continue for about six months. While the Dalai Lama was evasive about the plans of his people and said that some Tibetan organisations were preparing for a peace march, Mr Samdong Rinpoche, Chairman of the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies was more forthcoming on the issue, 'Its now or never. Time is running out for us. We want immediate results this way or that way. Forty years is not a very long period in the history of a nation's freedom struggle and we are aware that it takes generations and generations

of patriots to liberate a country but the Tibetan situation is entirely different and any further delay in taking the movement to its logical end at this juncture will spell its doom'. Elaborating his point, he says, the Chinese are working overtime to annihilate the Tibetan identity through its policy of cultural genocide and mass transfer of Chinese population into Tibet. The continuing demographic aggression has already reduced the native Tibetans into a minority in their own homeland. If China is allowed to have its way, the Tibetan nation will be wiped out and only a geographic entity called Tibet will remain. It will be akin to a body without a soul. 'Secondly we will like the Dalai Lama to be around for at least a decade after Tibet achieves independence as his presence will be necessary for establishing the country. He has already turned sixty and he is not going to live for ever'". (EuroTibet News nr.5)