A two–day Northern Region Conference of the Tibet Support Groups was held at Patiala, Punjab on the 31st May and 1st June 2003. This is the first ever meeting of the Tibet support Group held in the state of Punjab.
The Regional Convenor of the Core Group for the Tibetan cause and India Tibet Coordination Office
(ITCO) in collaboration with the Bharat Tibbbat Sahyog Manch ( BTSM) at Patiala organized the conference.
Sixty delegates representing Six northern region states of India including Punjab, Haryana, Uttranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Jammu Kashmir have registered . The important dignitaries who attended and addressed the gathering were:
Dr. N.K.Trikha, veteran senior journalist and National Convenor of the Core Group for Tibetan Cause,
Mr. Lobsang Nyandak, Kalon of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile,
Mr. Avinash Khanna, Member of the Legislative Assembly, BJP and the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly,
Dr. K.B.Bakshi, a Gandhian , Regional Convenor, Central
Dr. .Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri, Regional Co convenor and National coordinator of Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch
Dr. .P,C,Dogra, former DGP of Punjab Police and National President of the Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch.
Mr. Dawa Tsering , Tibetan Assembly member and National Secretary of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch and Mr. Ugyen Tenzing, Tibetan Assembly member.
Other Tibetan delegates who participated are Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, National Secretary of Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, Ven. Yeshi Togden, President, Gu-Chu-Sum, Ms Tsewang Lhadon, Director Tibetan Centre for human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), Ms Passang, General Secretary, Tibetan Women Association besides Mr. Jamyang Dorjee, the Coordinator and Mr Chokyong Wangchuk, Dy,. Coordinator, India Tibet Coordination Office, Delhi.
There was a photographic exhibition of the situation in Tibet, which was greatly appreciated by all the participants. Besides an opening and a closing function, there were three technical sessions mainly concentrating on the establishing of district level branch of the BTSM, chalking out future course of action for this year.
Most of the speakers emphasized the point that
- The issue of Tibet is directly linked with the security of the country,
- The government of India must listen to the voice of the public and revise its policy on Tibet,
- The Prime Minister of India must take a leading role in bringing the Chinese Government on the negotiating table with His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a peaceful settlement of the Tibet issue.
Mr. Lobsang Nyandak thanked the Government and people of India for supporting Tibet in this difficult period. He congratulated the organizers for this first ever conference in Punjab and appealed them to support the peaceful effort of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a genuine autonomy.
Mr.Avinash Khanna, MLA said that if Tibet is in peace, India will automatically in peace. The present struggle is not a Tibetan struggle alone but an Indian struggle. He assured that the matter will be brought to the notice of the Hon’ble Prime Minister before his forth coming visit to China.
The meeting passed three resolutions
- Expressing the concern of the people of India for the on going Railway project in Tibet, with reference to the security of India
- Expressing the concern of people of India for all the political prisoners of Tibet who are still languishing in the Chinese prison and
- Requesting the Prime Minister of India to bring the Chinese Government to a negotiating table with His Holiness the Dalai Lama with serious intention and express the above mentioned concerns of the public to the Government of China during his forthcoming visit to China.
Note: – This is the series of regional Conferences of Tibet Support Groups organised by India Tibet Coordination Office, New Delhi, Previous venues being Bylakkuppee (South), Nagpur (West) Bodhgaya (East) Bhopal (Central). The North Eastern regional Conference will be held in Salugara on 13th – 14th June 2003 and the National Level TSG meet is scheduled on September in Chandigarh.
www.indiatibet.com
