Indian government ally for talks between China, Dalai Lama

NEW DELHI, May 8 (AFP) - A member of India's ruling Hindu nationalist coalition government on Friday urged the United Nations to facilitate talks between China and the Dalai Lama.

The Samata (Equality) Party of Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes said the UN secretary general should "take whatever steps possible to carry forward the process of dialogue (between the two parties)."

It also called upon the UN chief to send some message of "effective assurance" to five Tibetan activists who are on a hunger strike here so that they give up their protest. The Samata Party's statement came amid calls from the opposition for Fernandes' resignation for branding China as India's "enemy number one." The two countries fought a border war in 1962. Fernandes' statement has also been denounced by Beijing. Fernandes, a socialist, is a long-standing supporter of Tibet's independence from China. The Indian government has distanced itself from his anti-China comments.

India is also home to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of six million Tibetans, as well as more than 100,000 Tibetan exiles. Five Tibetans began an indefinite hunger strike here on March 10 to protest against China's rule over Tibet. A 50-year-old Tibetan set himself on fire and died when the police broke up the hunger strike last month. The present group of five Tibetans then began their hunger strike.