Chandigarh, September 8 – All India Tibet Support Groups concluded with great success. The Inauguration was held under a specially constructed canopy marked as “Lhasa Nagar” and the meeting Hall was named as PadmaSambhava Hall where 227 participants from 15 states of India registered for the 3-day conference.
Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh with his 12 members of the Legislative Assembly, Shri Pema Jugney, Chairman of the Tibetan Parliament with four members of his Parliament and 8 members of the Legislative Assembly from Punjab, and Haryana attended the inauguration function of 500 plus gathering.
On the second day, Prof Bharat Karnard, Defense Analyst from Delhi delivered a very educative lecture on the security of India and the question of Tibet.
The team of Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute from Dharamsala lead by Dr. Pema Dorjee organized an impressive exhibition and medical camp. The Department of Information and International relation and Gu-chu-sum displayed photo exhibitions.
The members of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress performed Tibetan Traditional dance to the delegates.
After very extensive group discussions, a plan of action was approved for campaign activities for the next year. Some of the important action plan was celebrating the year 2004 as the “year of Tibet” during which various programs are planned.
A declaration was adopted where the supporters will appeal to the Government of India to review the Beijing Declaration, to remove any doubts about the future of Tibet, reorient their policy towards Tibetans from sympathy to pro active political support and to the state governments to help Tibetans for providing basic civic amenities to support their petty business and to reserve some seats to Tibetan students in the higher educational institutes.
On the concluding day, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, the Kalon Tripa of Tibetan Cabinet, thanked all the participants for coming from different regions of India, spending their money and time for Tibet.
This conference pledged and declared in the name of the people of India “to work ceaselessly to achieve the ultimate objectives of the people of Tibet ”
One of the clearest signals this conference sends is that the issue of Tibet is linked with the security of India and that supporting Tibet is supporting the cause of India more than Tibet.
All participants went back fully charged and vowed to work with renewed interest shouting “NEXT YEAR IN LHASA!”
