Published by: World Tibet Network News Friday, September 26, 1997

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, Friday, September 26, 1997 (The Hindu) -- To force the Chinese regime to recognise the complexity of the Tibetan question and to re-emphasise its independence, eminent Gandhians from India and abroad will lead a peaceful satyagraha in Tibet on October 2.

The emphasis of the satyagraha would be to mobilise world opinion in favour of a constructive dialogue between Beijing and the spiritual leader and head of the Tibetian Government-in-exile, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. The satyagrahi's would try to enter into China through the Sikkim border.

At a press conference here today, noted Gandhian and Rajya Sabha MP, Ms. Nirmala Deshpande, said the satyagraha was a continuation of the process initiated last year when they had appealed to the Chinese President, Mr. Jiang Zemin, to activate a framework for a lasting solution to the Tibet issue.

"We have got tremendous support from all over the world, a number of governments through their missions in New Delhi have also expressed their solidarity with our efforts to highlight the issue of the freedom of Tibet," she claimed.

Former Lok Sabha speaker, Mr. Rabi Ray, lamented that it was unfortunate that the Indian Government had always followed an ambivalent policy towards Tibet.

Urging the Union Government to recognise Tibet as an independent nation and provide moral support to those fighting their cause, he stressed that security of India was very much linked to the Tibetan issue.

"Tibet had acted as a buffer State between India and China before its occupation by the latter, but now China has more or less turned it into a nuclear arsenal," he said.

Apart from reminding the Indian Government of its duties towards the people of Tibet, Mr. Ray said, the October 2 satyagraha would make an attempt to bring the Tibet problem at the centre stage of world affairs.