A huge anti-Hu protest march held in Dharamsala as the Chinese President is in New Delhi on the second day of his visit to India
By Phurbu Thinley,
Phayul Correspondent
Dharamsala, November 21 – As the day marks Hu Jintao’s second visit to India, Tibetans here in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala today took to a strong protest rally procession from Mcleod town to lower Dharamsala condemning the continued and illegal occupation of their country by the communist China.
Tibetans and non-Tibetans numbering in hundreds; comprising monks, nuns, students and lay people, and carrying banners, Tibetan national flag, anti-China placards, joined the noisy procession.
The protest march started with gathering at Main Tsuglagkhang courtyard, in front of Dalai Lama’s residential palace here, in the morning.
The protest rally was organised by six prominent organisations dedicated to Tibetan freedom struggle.
Speaking at today’s morning function, the Vice-Chairman of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, Mrs. Gyari Dolma said, “There is no reason to protest Hu’s visit to India, but we want to make sure that our collective voice reaches him during the visit.”
Mrs. Dolma also said, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the undisputed leader of Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet”, and went on to add, “If there is an effective way of resolving the issue of Tibet and its people, then it must be to come in terms with our leader”.
Dharamsala in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is home to the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland in 1959 after China crushed the Tibetan National uprising.
The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile led by him have already seceded from their demand for Tibet’s complete independence and are now seeking a form of genuine autonomy under Chinese rule.
But, there are Tibetans who still continue to advocate that complete independence is the only viable solution and believe that it alone can be in the best interest of Tibetan people in the long run.
As of now, Tibetans are restless here in Dharamsala. They are infuriated by the recent shooting of innocent Tibetans to death over the Nangpa La Pass by the Chinese armed police along with many other long standing human rights concerns.
Tenzin Tsundue, a prominent free-Tibet activist, who is barred by the Indian government from leaving Dharamsala during Hu’s November 20-23 visit in an attempt to prevent him from organising anti-Chinese protests, called for more determined approach from Tibetans while addressing the crowd today.
“A more determined and collective sacrifice by Tibetans is the only way to realise our freedom”, said Tsundue. “Only then we will see how many Tsundues China can stop” he adds.
A candle light vigil procession will be held later in the evening here.
Hu Jintao who arrived in India last night will leave India on November 23. He is on a four-day visit and during the visit; Tibetan political refugees in India and elsewhere around the world are condemning his visit and are calling on him to resolve the issue of Tibet.
