Page 10 - The Indian EYE 021921

NATION February 19, 2021 | The Indian Eye 10

peace march to hashtags:

how Tibetans are resisting

china’s move against dalai Lama

Poet-activist Tenzin Tsundue begins a month-long 500 kilometres

solo Peace March from Dharamsala to New Delhi

Our Bureau

New Delhi

n the latest attempt to tight-
en its grip in Tibet, China is
Iforcing the Tibetans to pay
less attention to their religion
and show more enthusiasm
for president Xi Jinping and
the Chinese Communist Party
(CCP), according to a report by
The Economist.
Beijing has also intensified
its efforts to eradicate the Dalai
Lama from the religious lives of
Tibetans to crush their identity.
The Chinese government occu-
pied Tibet in 1950 and has ever
since tried to control the region.
The Dalai Lama, whom Chi-
na views as overseer of an “evil
clique” that seeks to split Tibet
from China, escaped to India
in 1959 and the 10the Panchen
Lama (Lobsang Trinley Lhun-
drup Choekyi Gyaltsen) stayed China is trying to eradicate the Dalai Lama's influence in Tibet (ANI)
behind in Tibet. He spoke
against Chinese rule many times attend religious teachings given Tibetan culture, was quoted as Another placard read, “Chi-
and wrote a report chronicling by the Dalai Lama, as many did saying by The Economist. na stole; my land, my voice and
Tibet’s famines in the 1960s. before Xi took power in 2012,” But the Tibetans are fighting my freedom.”
As per The Economist, the The Economist said. it back. According to another post by
Tibetan religion like that of Unlike the Uyghurs, the Ti- A vigil was held in London a New York-based Tibetan blog-
Muslim followers in Xinjiang is betans are allowed to use social last week outside the Chinese ger, Ugyen Gyalpo: “It’s such a
undergoing what the CCP term media apps such as WeChat but Embassy against the atrocities paradox to say Happy Indepen-
as “sinicisation”. with restrictions such as posting inflicted by Beijing on the peo- dence Day when our country
“Surveillance has been images of Dalai Lama can be an ple residing in the region. is still under colonization. But
stepped up. Networks of in- imprisonable offence. “It seems People were seen carrying what is not paradoxical is when
formers relay information to the these policies are aimed at cre- posters, “China lied, people we don’t take ownership of our
state; smartphones are tapped. ating future Tibetans who will died. CCP (Chinese Commu- historical past which is the basis
Just as Uyghurs can no longer not know about the Dalai Lama nist Party) shame on you,” ac- of our fight. We must own our
make pilgrimages to Mecca, it as having any role in Tibetan cording to Global Alliance for past and not suppressed it. We
has become almost impossible Buddhism except as an enemy,” Tibet & Persecuted Minorities have compromised enough.”
for Tibetans to travel to India to Robbie Barnett, a scholar of (GATPM). Continued on next page... >>

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