On 7th March, under the organisation of Italy-Tibet Association, Ven. Palden Gyatso has been guest at the Beppe Grillo’s political and cultutral show “Reset” in Piacenza, accompanied by Tamdin Choepel of Tibetan Community in Italy and Claudio Cardelli, vice-president of Italy-Tibet Association. Grillo is one of Italy’s most popular opinionists and showmen and he runs the website www.beppegrillo.it which counts thousands of daily visits.
Grillo has always stood out for his great sense of independence and total irreverence towards the great political, economic and cultural powers and during the years he has successfully promoted and initiated numerous political, social and humanitarian causes.
Grillo and his blog had a crucial role, along with TV programme Striscia la Notizia, in spreading the news of the hunger strike held by Tibetans, including Ven.Palden Gyatso, during the last Winter Olympics in Turin last Ferbruary 2006.
The over 3,500 people present at the show listened with great attention and emotion to Claudio Cardelli’s introduction of Palden Gyatso and the situation of Tibet, a sovereign and independent state illegally occpied by China for almost 60 years. The Tibetan flag was unfolded and a visibly moved but determined Palden Gyatso recalled the reasons of his arrest and the great suffering which he was made to undergo during the 33 years of his imprisonment in chinese laogai. Moving the crowd to a warm and loud applause, he concluded by stating that he has not given up hope, reasoning that since Tibetans have Truth on their side, sooner or later Truth will prevail over injustice, violence and suffering.
Italy-Tibet Association organised an information point and collected signature for a petition to send to the President of the International Olympic Committee in view of the Bejing 2008 Olympics: the large show up and interest of people was astonishing.
