Dharamsala, April 21 – A Five member delegation from the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies will meet the ‘All party Indian parliamentary group for Tibet’ (APIPGT) on the 24th of April in Delhi. The Tibetan Assembly delegation is headed by the Vice-Chairperson Ms. Gyari Dolma. She would be accompanied by Chitue Gyarong Dawa Tsering, Chitue Geshe Thupten Phelgye, Chitue Ngawang Tempa and Chitue Dawa Tsering.
The coming meeting is organized to follow up on the earlier meeting between the Indian Parliamentarians and the Tibetan representatives held last year in Dharamsala. According to Mr. Pema Jugney, the Chairperson of the Tibetan Assembly, “the meeting in Delhi is an effort to realize the various proposals put up during that time when the Indian politicians visited Dharamsala to revive the Indian Parliamentarian Group for Tibet.”
He said, “we need the Indian Parliamentarian supporters to play an active role in working on the Tibetan issue. This meeting will give an impetus to realizing that goal.”
The Chairperson says the Tibetan representatives will visit the Indian Parliament while it is in session and interact with as many Parliament Members as possible. They will also highlight the need for resolving the Tibetan issue vis-a-vis India. The delegation is expected to discuss on ways of getting the Indian Parliamentarians to play a more active role in the international forums on the issue of Tibet.
The ‘All party Indian parliamentary group for Tibet’ was first started in 1970 through the initiative of the then foreign minister of India. At that time around 100 members signed up into the group. Somehow, in the following years, due to a number of unavoidable circumstances, the group became a non-entity for few years. But in 1993, it was revived under the guidance of the late Mr. Mathu Limai. The present Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes became the president of the group that time. Following that, the group had taken part in the second and third world parliamentary conventions on Tibet held in Lithuania and Washington respectively.
During the 11th and 12th Indian Parliament, as a result of changes in the political scene, the group lost considerable number of its members and became less active. However, last year, new initiatives were taken and with the visit of several Parliamentarians to Dharamsala, the group is expected to play a more vital role again.
