Living Tibetan Spirits welcome the view shared by US Representatives Nancy Pelosi and James McGovern desiring the return of Dalai Lama to Tibet from his exile home in India.
Living Tibetan Spirits desire Supreme Ruler of Tibet to go home if the following two conditions are fully satisfied:
Restore identity of entire Tibetan territory by demarcating political boundaries of Tibet and
Supreme Ruler of Tibet be replaced by Head of State elected by Tibetan citizens. The political institution of Ganden Phodrang which governs lives of Tibetans must be replaced by elected Government of Tibet.
The Dalai Lama during an interview in Dharamasala, northern India, on June 26, 2018.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, celebrated his 83rd birthday last week. What a wonderful gift it would be if China would treat the Tibetan people with the dignity and respect they deserve, and let the Dalai Lama go home to Tibet, whether to visit or to stay.
The Dalai Lama was born and educated in Tibet. He was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama when he was only 2, and he was just 6 when he began his monastic studies. While the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet, he humbly describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.
Before the Dalai Lama could finish his education, he was called to assume the leadership of his people, after China’s invasion of Tibet, in 1950. He worked to preserve Tibetan autonomy and culture, until years of growing resentment against restrictions imposed by the Chinese Communists led to a full-scale revolt in March 1959. As the uprising was crushed by Chinese troops, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee, and he eventually settled in Dharamsala, in northern India.
Since then, the Dalai Lama has been forced by China to remain in exile. For nearly 60 years, he has not been able to return to his homeland and the people he leads. This is wrong.
Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms, “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.” As American citizens, we have that right and exercise it.
The Dalai Lama is renowned the world over for his commitment to peace. He has consistently advocated for nonviolence, even in the face of extreme aggression. In 1989, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his decades-long nonviolent campaign to end China’s domination of his homeland. In 2007, when Congress awarded the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal, then-president George W. Bush called him “a man of faith and sincerity and peace.”
Living within China, the Tibetan people have many grievances. Although Chinese authorities see the Dalai Lama as part of the problem, we have long believed that he is part of the solution.
There was a time when the Tibetan goal was independence. But since the 1970s, the Dalai Lama has sought redress through negotiations. In the late 1980s, he proposed the Middle Way Approach as a path toward Tibetan autonomy within China.
Today, his commitment to nonviolence and his recognition as the spiritual leader of Tibetans worldwide confer on him an undeniable legitimacy that would be of great benefit were China willing to restart the dialogue that has been suspended since 2010.
But China has not taken advantage of this opportunity to move toward peace. Instead, authorities view the Dalai Lama with suspicion, disparage him, and accuse him of fomenting separatism. They seem to believe that with his eventual, inevitable death, they will be assured of consolidating their hold on Tibet.
We are not so sure. Today, all around the world, we see the consequences of the repression of religious and ethnic minorities.
There is still time. It is not too late for China to choose a different path. Imagine the world’s reaction if Chinese authorities were to affirm the right of the 14th Dalai Lama to return to his homeland if he so desires. Imagine if they were to afford His Holiness the respect he deserves as a man of peace. Imagine if through good-faith dialogue they sought to ease tensions, rather than implementing policies that exacerbate them. Imagine.
We urge our fellow Americans to join in calling on Chinese leaders to let the Dalai Lama go home.
US Representative Nancy Pelosi of California is House minority leader. US Representative James McGovern of Massachusetts is a ranking member of the House Rules Committee.
A WORLD SANS MILITARY – DEMILITARIZE OCCUPIED TIBET
A World sans Military – Demilitarize Occupied Tibet. Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all men.
I recommend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s vision for a demilitarized world. To implement his ideal, I ask the world to demilitarize ‘Occupied Tibet’. The Great Tibet Problem can be resolved without use of military force. Peace, Harmony, Tranquility, Equilibrium, and Freedom in Tibet is Nature’s Gift to all denizens of Tibetan Plateau.
A World sans Military – Demilitarize Occupied Tibet. Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all men.
VARANASI: Dalai Lama advocated for a demilitarized world and revival of ancient Indian knowledge for global peace.
“In all my life I have noticed too many killings. Human beings killing thousands of human beings has become normal. It is really terrible. We must change it. We must think or try to demilitarize the world,” he said while delivering his concluding remarks at the two-day international conference on ‘Mind in Indian philosophical school of thought and modern science’ at the Central Institute of Tibetan Higher Studies, Sarnath, on Sunday.
He said killing enemies was prevalent in ancient time but not in today’s world.
“There are a lot of self-created problems due to lack of knowledge on how to deal with destructive emotions. The ancient Indian knowledge is relevant to tackle our emotions,” he said.
A World sans Military – Demilitarize Occupied Tibet. Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all men.
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade is illegal Bartering
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.
The five dams forming the ‘North Indus River Cascade’ that Communist China plans to build in Pakistan-Occupied Indian territory represents Illegal Bartering. Firstly, Communist China’s Tibet Occupation is illegal for it violates Natural Law, Natural Balance, Natural Order, Natural Equilibrium, Natural Harmony, and Natural Tranquility that formulates connections between man and Nature. Tibet Equilibrium gives Indus River the ability to flow down to reach Arabian Sea.
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.
China’s doctrine of Neocolonialism drives her capital investment projects to develop infrastructure and exploit natural resources to ensure her political, economic, and military domination of world. North Indus River Cascade in its essence represents the actions of two thieves sharing stolen assets. In my analysis, Communist China sponsored Indus River Projects bring no Joy, no Peace, no Harmony, and no Tranquility in the lives of people for Beijing is Doomed.
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.
Pakistan’s Indus Cascade, a China Sponsored Himalayan Blunder
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.
The Indus River in Diamer District of Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan. (Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)
Joydeep Gupta
Updated: 22 May 2017 4:27 PM IST
The five dams forming the ‘North Indus River Cascade’ that China has just promised to finance and build in Pakistan – including Pakistan-administered Kashmir – has the potential to generate over 22,000 MW in an energy-starved country. But the dams will also stop the flow of silt which is the lifeline of agriculture downstream. In non-monsoon months from October to June, they may also reduce the flow of water down the Indus to Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces.
Climate change is making water flow along rivers more erratic – especially rivers like the Indus, that flow from the Himalayas. Pakistan’s entire water supply for agriculture, factories, and homes is dependent on rivers in the Indus basin. Water availability is already below the 1,000 cubic meters per person per year level at which a country is described as water-scarce, according to the global norm followed by most UN agencies. In this situation, it is critical to look at food, energy and water together, as a nexus. Instead, the planners of Pakistan appear to be looking at energy alone.
Money, CPEC, OBOR China is providing Pakistan with US $50 billion for the Indus Cascade. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to this effect during the recent Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – previously known as One Belt, One Road (OBOR) – conference in Beijing. China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) will oversee the funding. China Three Gorges Corporation – which runs the world’s largest hydroelectricity project at the Three Gorges Dam – is the frontrunner to build the five dams that will form the cascade. The MoU was signed by Pakistan’s Water and Power Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokhar and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong in presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. This is in addition to the US $57 billion China is providing to Pakistan for a series of infrastructure projects along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the BRI. The infrastructure projects include the building of coal-fired power stations and the port at Gwadar on the Arabian Sea
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets. Stealing assets originating in Tibet.
The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China (Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)
The Indus Cascade The cascade plans all the way down the Indus from Gilgit-Baltistan to the existing Tarbela dam near Islamabad. It will effectively turn this huge transboundary river into a series of lakes in the last part of its journey through the Hindu Kush Himalayas to the plains of South Asia. The uppermost of the five dams is planned at Bunji near Skardu in Pakistan administered Kashmir. The former princely state of Jammu & Kashmir is a disputed territory claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, though both only control parts of it, with China also controlling some. The 7,100 MW Bunji Hydropower Project has been described by Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) as a run-of-the-river (RoR) project. But the same promotional video (for the entire cascade) which provides this description also indicates that: This project will have a reservoir that will spread along a 22-km stretch of the Indus and inundate a 12-km stretch of the road between Gilgit and Skardu – the two main towns of Gilgit-Baltistan. So, despite the description, this may not be an RoR project.
The next dam in the cascade is the big one – Diamer-Basha – with a planned live storage of 6.4 million-acre feet (MAF) of water and a hydropower generating potential of 4,500 MW. From Diamer-Basha, the projects run along the Karakoram Highway, which China built in the 1960s through Pakistan administered Kashmir despite strenuous objections from India. The reservoir that will form behind the Diamer-Basha dam will submerge 104 km of the Karakoram Highway and displace about 30,000 people, according to WAPDA. The Diamer-Basha dam is promoted by WAPDA as a sediment trap and therefore good for downstream hydropower projects. But the same sediment – mainly silt – rejuvenates the soil downstream every year and has been the main reason sustaining agriculture in the Indus valley for over a millennium. Building the Diamer-Basha dam is estimated to cost US $15 billion. For years, Pakistan has been seeking the money from multilateral funding agencies. Experts at the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have advised Pakistani planners to think of smaller dams instead. Now China has promised funding. Just downstream of Diamer-Basha is the third dam in the cascade – the 4,320 MW Dasu Hydropower Project. This will have a reservoir that will stretch upstream for 74 km along the Indus, all the way to the Diamer-Basha dam, according to WAPDA. It will also submerge 52 km of the Karakoram Highway. Some of the peripheral work for this project has started, and people have already been displaced, with WAPDA seeking contracts for resettlement and providing free transport to resettlement sites. And immediately downstream of that, WAPDA has planned the 2,200 MW Patan Hydropower Project, with a 35-km long reservoir that goes up to the Dasu dam.
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.
The Indus River from the Karakoram Highway (Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)
Once again, the fifth dam in the cascade is just a little downstream – the 4,000 MW Thakot Hydropower Project in which the plan is to divert the Indus waters through four headrace tunnels to generate electricity. By the time the Indus emerges from the tunnels, it will be close to the existing dam at Tarbela, which has been in operation since 1976.
The Plan, the Effect The electricity that will potentially be generated by the five new projects forming the Indus Cascade adds up to a little over 22,000 MW. Officials in Pakistan’s Ministry of Water and Power have been telling the domestic media that experts from the Chinese NEA conducted feasibility study of the entire cascade this February and satisfied about feasibility of the project. The officials say that now, after the signing of the MoU, the Chinese experts will conduct a more detailed study for three months to finalize both financing and execution of the projects. In 2015, China Three Gorges Corporation had said it wanted to be part of a financing consortium with a US $50 billion fund to build hydroelectric power projects in Pakistan. The corporation may be the frontrunner to build the dams, but it is not the only competitor. After the MoU was signed in Beijing, several Chinese power sector companies showed willingness to join the project. This will be the first large-scale private sector hydroelectricity project in Pakistan. At the MoU signing ceremony, Nawaz Sharif spoke glowingly of cooperation between the two governments to overcome Pakistan’s energy crisis. “Development of the Indus Cascade is a major focus of my government and the construction of Diamer-Basha Dam is the single most important initiative in this regard.” Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister, Pakistan He also said, “Water and food security are of paramount importance for Pakistan, keeping in view the challenges posed by climate change.” The Indus Cascade will reduce water and food security in Pakistan instead. One proven effect of climate change is intensification of the water cycle. In lay terms, it means fewer rainy or snowy days but more intense rainfall or snowfall in those days. Pakistan is already suffering the effects. For the first nine years in this century, the Indus failed to reach the sea. Then there was such a cloudburst in 2010 flooding a fifth of the country. The floods also brought down, and continue to bring down, huge sediment loads that reduce the working lives of dams. To build more large dams in this situation appears dangerously short-sighted. A side effect of the cascade project will be the need to rebuild large parts of the Karakoram Highway. Building a road in the mountains always has a strong negative effect on the environment and increases the risk of landslides manifold. India has already boycotted the BRI conference because many of the CPEC projects are in Kashmir. Addition of a project as big as the Indus Cascade to that list is likely to lead to more protests from India and to raise tension in the region.
Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan and China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan, China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets. Indus River flows down Indian territory.Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan, China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan, China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan, China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan, China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets.Tibet Equilibrium – Pakistan, China North Indus River Cascade – Illegal Bartering. Two thieves sharing stolen assets. Indus River originates in Tibet and flows down India.
DOOMED HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED TIBET – NO SAFE PLACE TO LIVE
DOOMED HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED TIBET – NO SAFE PLACE TO LIVE. MAP OF QING CHINA EMPIRE 1910 A.D.
During its long history, Tibet came under foreign conquest by Mongol Empire and Manchu or Qing Empire which ruled over China. But, Tibetans never lost their traditional independent lifestyle.
DOOMED HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED TIBET – NO SAFE PLACE TO LIVE. POTALA PALACE, LHASA, TIBET IN 1930 A.D. FULLY INDEPENDENT NATION FROM 1911 TO 1950.
Tibet declared full independence on February 13, 1913 and existed as fully independent national entity until founding of Evil Red Empire on October 01, 1949 by China’s Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong. Red China’s brutal occupation transformed Tibet into Military Camp leaving no safe place for Tibetans to live.
DOOMED HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED TIBET. RED CHINA’S MILITARY CONQUEST OF TIBET. CHINESE ARMY IN LHASA, 1951. TIBETANS HAVE NO SAFE PLACE TO LIVE.
For all practical purposes, Communist Dictator Mao Zedong is alive as his brutal, military occupation of Tibet survived his death in December 1976 which may have marked the end of Red China’s Cultural Revolution.
DOOMED HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED TIBET. ON DECEMBER 10, 1948, TIBET WAS FULLY INDEPENDENT NATION. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT – DECLARATION OF UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS.
DOOMED HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED TIBET. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT RECEIVING MARY McLEOD BETHUNE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD FROM DOROTHY HEIGHT. SHE DID NOT ANTICIPATE THE GREAT TIBET PROBLEM.
DOOMED HUMAN RIGHTS IN OCCUPIED TIBET. DECEMBER 10, 2016. TIBETANS HAVE NO SAFE PLACE TO LIVE.
Where is human rights in Tibet?
December 8, 2016, 11:07 pm IST YOUDON AUKATSANG in Echoes from the Himalayas TOI
We celebrate December 10 as the Human Rights Day to commemorate adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the UN General Assembly in 1948. This was a ground-breaking achievement because it was the first time in history that all Member States of the United Nations pledged to work together to promote the thirty Articles of human rights that was enshrined in the document.
This year’s Human Rights Day slogan Stand up for Someone’s Rights Today reaffirms common humanity and universality of humane values. It convinces us that whoever, whatever, whenever and wherever we are, we can make a difference. Each of us has the potential to make a difference in our own unique ways using a medium that comes easiest to us.
The Declaration reminds each one of us to stand up against human rights violations wherever it occurs, in a remote country, in our region, country or even at home.
This day has an added significance for Tibetans. We fondly remember the day as the Nobel Peace Prize Day as it was on this day in 1989 that HH the Dalai Lama was conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize. With this award, the international community not only recognized the commitment of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to non-violence and peace but also applauded his middle way approach and his efforts at resolving the issue of Tibet through dialogue with China.
United Nations did recognize the right to self-determination of the Tibetans and called for respect of basic human rights of Tibetans in the aftermath of Tibetan National Uprising and the coming into exile in India of HH the Dalai Lama in 1959. In fact, there were two other UN General Assembly resolutions in 1961 and 1965 condemning continued human rights violations of Tibetans. Since then, the corridors of UN General Assembly have been silent on Tibet except for rare references made during the Human Rights Council Sessions.
The international community has made out the issue of Tibet to be an issue of human rights. But for Tibetans, it is more critical than human rights violations. The issue of Tibet is about ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide. In fact, the report of ICJ which formed the basis for the UN resolutions on Tibet affirms it as early as 1959 and mentions that “acts of genocide had been committed”, and that “Tibet was at the very least a de facto independent State” before its annexation by the Chinese government in 1951.
The Tibet crisis has continued unabated since the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The Chinese state machinery clamps down on Tibetan religion, culture and language which forms the bedrock of Tibetan identity. Tibetans are arrested and imprisoned for celebrating religious festivals such as Saka Dawa or HH the Dalai Lama’s birthday.
Of the many ongoing campaigns enforced in Tibet by the Chinese regime, the most pervasive is “Patriotic education” aimed at strengthening ties between the public and the Communist Party and denouncing the Dalai Lama and “splittist forces”. According to Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), Work Teams are formed under this campaign to cover every section of society including farmers, schools, monastic institutions and general populace.
Under the guise of this campaign, Chinese authorities interfere in the daily lives and religious practices of Tibetans. Influential Tibetans in various strata of the society particularly those with following are targeted and arrested under false allegations. Ceilings are imposed on number of monks and nuns in the monasteries and nunneries.
Recent news of demolition of Larung Gar Institute, one of the largest centers of Buddhist learning in Serthar County in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province is the most current evidence of religious repression in Tibet. Demolitions are being carried out in line with the order given by the Chinese authorities to cut the number of residents by half to 5000. Central Tibetan Administration has urged UNHCR and the international community to save Larung Gar.
With no freedom to express your identity and the shrinking space for dissent under the Chinese rule, Tibetans have resorted to self-immolation the most extreme form of protesting Chinese repression. The most recent case of self-immolation of an unidentified person was reported on December 8 at 5 pm local time in Machu county, Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. This has taken the reported cases of self-immolations to 145.
The world can no longer afford to remain a silent spectator, it needs to stand up for the rights of Tibetans in Tibet and urge China to have a dialogue with the representatives of HH the Dalai Lama to resolve the issue of Tibet.
DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author’s own.
Author
Doomed Human Rights in Occupied Tibet. Ms. Youdon Aukatsang, Member of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
YOUDON AUKATSANG
Youdon Aukatsang is currently serving her third term as an elected member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPIE). She is also the Director of Empowering . . .
Author
WHERE IS HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIBET? ECHOES FROM THE HIMALAYAS, AUTHOR YOUDON AUKATSANG, MEMBER OF TIBETAN PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE.
Youdon Aukatsang is currently serving her third term as an elected member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPIE). She is also the Director of Empowering . . .
Trouble in Tibet – India – China Wars are mere Symptoms of a serious malady
Whole Trouble – India – China War of 1967 describes illegal occupation of Tibet. India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.
India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.
Trouble in Tibet – India – China Wars are mere Symptoms of a serious malady. A view of Nathu La pass, India – Tibet Border. India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.
The Story of Indian Army’s Nathu La & Cho La Stands that saved Sikkim from the Chinese Army!
Trouble in Tibet – India – China War of 1967. On any day, I can see Trouble in Tibet when I stand near Nathu La Pass, the Pass of “Listening Ears.” India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.
This is how it happened at Nathu La ::
Nathu La was the only place in 4000 km long Indo-China border where two armies were separated by a meagre 30 yards.
Chinese held the northern shoulder of the pass while Indian Army had the southern shoulder. Two dominating features south and north of Nathu La namely Sebu La and Camel’s back were held by the Indians.
It started with scuffle between sentries :: Sentries of both the forces used to stand barely one meter apart in the centre of the Pass which is marked by Nehru Stone, commemorating Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s trek to Bhutan through Nathu La and Chumbi Valley in 1959.
On 6 September 1967, an argument soon turned into a scuffle in which the Chinese Political Commissar fell down and broke his spectacles. Chinese went back since they were thin in size. Indian Army, however, in order to de-escalate the tension decided the lay a wire in the centre of the Pass from Nathu La to Sebu La to demarcate the perceived border. The task was given to jawans of 70 Field Company of Engineers assisted by a company of 18 Rajput deployed at Yak La pass further north of Nathu La.
The actual face-off ::
The wire laying was to commence at first light on the fateful morning of 11 September 1967. With first light, the engineers and jawans started their bit of erecting long iron pickets from Nathu La to Sebu La along the perceived border while 2 Grenadiers and Artillery Observation Post Officers (AOPO) at Sebu La and Camel’s Back were on alert.
Soon, the Chinese arrived. Their Political Commissar, with a section of Infantry came to the centre of the Pass where Lt. Col Rai Singh, Commanding Officer (CO) of 2 Grenadiers was standing with his commando platoon.
The Chinese asked CO to stop the fencing. But Lt. Col was adamant as orders were clear. The argument soon turned into scuffle and once again the tiny Chinese Commissar got roughed up.
Chinese went back to their bunkers, but this time returned to salvage their insult. Minutes later a murderous medium machine gun fire from north shoulder of Nathu La ran riot and jawans of 70 Field Company and 18 Rajput were caught in the open.
Among the Indian causalities was Col Rai Singh who succumbed to the bullet injuries. He was awarded MVC later. Two other brave officers – Capt Dagar of 2 Grenadiers and Major Harbhajan Singh of 18 Rajput rallied a few troops and tried to assault the Chinese MMG but both died a heroic death. They were posthumously awarded Vir Chakra and MVC respectively. Within the ten minutes, there were nearly seventy dead and scores wounded lying in the open on the pass.
Indians in retaliation opened fire from artillery observation posts and as a result, most of the Chinese bunkers on North shoulder and in depth were completely destroyed and Chinese suffered very heavy casualties which by their own estimates were over 400. It was followed by a ferocious counter strike from the Mountaineers, Grenadiers and Rajputs which included close quarter combat also.
The artillery duel thereafter carried on relentlessly, day and night. For the next three days, the Chinese were taught a very good lesson.
On September 14th, Chinese threatened to use Air Force if shelling didn’t stop.
But by then a lesson was taught to the Chinese. Col Raj Singh and Maj Harbhajan Singh were awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously while Capt Dagar was awarded the Vir Chakra.
Another duel at Cho La (1st October 1967) ::
It again started with sentries.
Minor scuffle between Sikh sentries and the Chinese on 30th September on a flat patch of icy land of about five metres on the unmarked boundary was the start of the stand off.
Information of scuffle reached late to CO, Major KB Joshi, but he didn’t waste anytime in telling Lt Rathore about anticipating a Nathu La like backlash. The CO decided to take stoke of the situation and thus reached Rai Gap area on the way to De Coy positions in morning.
While the Indian Sentry at post 15450 was visible, Major Joshi also observed that the post was being surrounded by a section strength of Chinese troops. Major Joshi at once informed Lt. Rathore of what he had seen. The later informed Major Joshi that the Chinese Coy Commander and the political commissar were staking claims to the boulder at the sentry post.
When Gorkha taught them a lesson ::
Naib Subedar Gyan Bahadur Limbu was having a heated argument with his counterpart at the sentry post during which he rested his right foot on the boulder under dispute. The Chinese kicked his foot away. Gyan put his foot back and challenged them. Events were moving quickly.
By this time the Chinese had taken up position, presumably because their commander had already taken a decision to escalate the incident. And one of the Chinese sentries bayoneted Gyan wounding him in the arm.
The Gorkha’s response was swift and soon both arms of the Chinese who hit the JCO were chopped off with a Khukri. At this point the Chinese opened fire and the two sides engaged in a firefight at close range. Lance Naik Krishna Bahadur, the Post Commander, then led a charge against the Chinese in the vicinity who were forming up for an assault. Although hit and incapacitated, he continued to harangue his men forward.
Rifleman Devi Prasad Limbu directly behind his Post Commander was already engaged in a close quarter battle with the enemy and his Khukri took off five Chinese heads.
But he was soon claimed by a direct hit. For his actions he was awarded a Vir Chakra, Posthumous. Meanwhile at Pt. 1540 Lt. Rathore was wounded in his left arm as soon as the firing started. He nevertheless continued to lead until he was hit in the chest and abdomen and died thereafter.
From here on Major Joshi took over immediately and his accurate mortar fire on Chinese positions around Point 15450 put an end to further activity in this area.
CO took matter in his hands ::
While Point 15450 was temporarily quiet, Tamze and the Rai Gap area came under rocket and RCL fire at around 10:50 am. The mortar position at Tamze came under heavy pressure as it threatened the rear of the Chinese positions. J&K Rifles stationed there suffered heavy casualties when one of their bunkers received a direct hit by RCL fire.
Soon, Major Joshi’s escort was killed and a handful of Chinese soldiers tried to move towards Major Joshi’s party. These troops withdrew after Major Joshi took down two Chinese. The fighting, however, continued.
Chinese wanted to shift the location of fight and hence stopped firing. But immediately retaliated by bringing down fire on Timjong’s position, another position closer by.
Major Joshi, undaunted, even though alone, continued to fire until all ammunition was exhausted. By 11:30 am troops were withdrawn back from Pt. 15450 under covering fire from MMGs on Pt. 15180.
Though the Chinese shot green lights indicating a ceasefire but at Pt. 15180 Major Joshi noticed some enemy troops lined up just below the crest at Rai Gap and engaged them, forcing them to scatter. while thwarting them back into their territory, Major Joshi shot four more.
The last assault ::
Despite great show, Pt 15540 was still under Chinese control. Thus operation was launched at 1700 hours after he met his men at camp. Soon Captain Parulekar and B Coy were given the task to capture Pt 15540, but they fumbled in dark.
Chinese fired magnesium flares to see the activity but failed. Captain Parulekar realized it was risky to move further, thus he waited. At 06:40 pm, Major Joshi ordered Parulekar and the platoon to outflank the enemy from a north-west direction, while the rest of the company and supporting mortars were readied for a frontal assault.
The offensive was about to be launched when the Chinese saw Indians occupying key positions to nail them. Thus they retreated and Pt 15540 was captured without firing a single shot.
During the whole standoff, the Chinese lost more than 50 soldiers while Indian Army conceded 15 of its valiant soldiers.
Trouble in Tibet – India – China War of 1967. Nathu La Pass, Sikkim, India. India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.
Trouble in Tibet – India – China War of 1967. On any day, I can see Trouble in Tibet when I stand near Nathu La Pass, the Pass of “Listening Ears.” India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.Trouble in Tibet – India – China War of 1967. On any day, I can see Trouble in Tibet when I stand near Nathu La Pass, the Pass of “Listening Ears.” India – China War of 1962 and 1967 cannot be described as border conflicts for India and China do not share a common border. These conflicts are signs and symptoms of a serious malady called ‘Trouble in Tibet’, the Trouble caused by Tibet’s illegal occupation.
Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Occupied Tibet is impossible while Red China erects Road Block halting The Walk for Talks.
The Road Map for Peace and Reconciliation in Occupied Tibet is presented as “Umaylam” or Middle Way Approach. However, Red China is unwilling to talk or negotiate with the Dalai Lama on the issue of introducing ‘Meaningful Autonomy’ in Occupied Tibet. While it is commendable to recommend ‘Talk’ as a tool for Peaceful Conflict Resolution, how to get Red China to Walk to The Conference Table? If China refuses to Talk, How to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution? Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Occupied Tibet is impossible while Red China erects Road Block halting The Walk for Talks.
Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga talked about the role of compassion to resolve conflicts in changing world. If China is Unwilling to Talk, How to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution?
OUR OPINION: GOOD ADVICE FROM THE DALAI LAMA WE SHOULD ALL FOLLOW
Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. The Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. If China is Unwilling to Talk, how to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution?
The Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga pose for a photo with mayors attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis on Sunday.
The message was simple, but in the midst of a presidential campaign filled with mean tweets, name-calling and a general air of nastiness, it sounded downright revolutionary and refreshing.
Be kind. Practice compassion.
That was a theme of the keynote address delivered by the Dalai Lama Sunday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Indianapolis. According to an Indianapolis Star report, in a discussion that followed the address, the Buddhist leader, along with entertainer Lady Gaga and philanthropist Philip Anschuwitz, talked to more than 200 of the nation’s city mayors about the importance of being kind in a violent and angry world.
He said that people are compassionate by nature, and that enemies can be the best of friends.He also noted that the time has come for America to be the leading nation in the promotion of human compassion, human love in order to achieve compassionate world.
While there are compassionate people to be found in communities such as ours, there is no denying that the national discourse has deteriorated over the years. That’s thanks in no small part to a Congress where inflexibility is prized, demonizing the opposition plays well and failure to compromise on such mammoth challenges as immigration reform is the norm. And four months from the election of a new president, things are certain to get even uglier and more divisive.
In a panel discussion short on policy proposals and heavy on philosophy, the Dalai Lama called the 20th century the century of violence,and suggested that the 21st century should be one of talk.
That sounds good to us. Now if only he can get certain folks in Washington, D.C. and on the campaign trail to listen.
Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. If China is Unwilling to Talk, How to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution?Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga talked about Compassion at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. How to get Red China to the Conference Table?Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. How to get Red China to The Conference Table?Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lady Gaga, and the U.S. Mayors held Talks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. The Talks are Over. Who is going to Walk The Talk?
OpEdNews Op Eds 6/22/2016 at 08:53:29 The Dalai Lama addresses joint session of California Legislature By SHAWN HAMILTON
Note to Readers: The Dalai Lama isn’t always easy to understand due to his accent, and I hope this general overview helps people better appreciate the message he delivered to California’s top politicians. I have added brackets to indicate omissions or additions of words required to make the prose easily readable. In some cases I had to listen to a segment three or four times before I could determine a word). The Dalai Lama begins to speak about 15 minutes, 30 seconds into the video. Shawn Hamilton
What is Happiness? Sunshine in Occupied Tibet. The Dalai Lama greets members of Legislature, California Capitol, 20 June 2016.
The Dalai Lama greets members of legislature, California Capitol, 20 June 2016 (image by SHAWN HAMILTON )
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalia Lama, opened his June 20th address to the California legislature (15:30) acknowledging “respected leaders” and the general audience as “brothers and sisters”. He light-heartedly kidded the legislators about their official formality before presenting a major theme of his talk–that we should concern ourselves with the welfare the 7 billion member family called humanity. Mentally, emotionally, and physically, he said, we are all the same, and assuring others’ happiness is key to our own. “Since we are social animals, the best way to take care of oneself [is to] take care of others. Others–community–is the basis of our own happy future,” he said. Throughout his talk, he stressed the common factor of the innate humanness behind people of all religions and ethnicities, indicating, specifically, various sects of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. “This religion, that religion,” he said. “It doesn’t matter.”
Dalai Lama, California Capitol, 20 June 2016 (image by Shawn Hamilton )
Another of the Dalai Lama’s themes involved the importance of children feeling parental love after their birth, and he made an interesting, and perhaps controversial, observation. He pointed generally to the assembled legislators and said that many successful people pursue ambitions tenaciously to compensate for their inherent lack of security.
He said he’d talked with scientists who had demonstrated that compassion is the natural state of humankind. Anger, jealously, and the other “poisons”, as they’re referred to in certain Buddhist teachings, arise out of “disturbance[s] of mind” rather than being innate qualities of a healthy human being. It’s an important point. Anger and violence, greed, jealousy, etc. are not normal modes no matter how much we rationalize and justify the actions that spring from them.
This is a cause for hope, the Dalai Lama said, reminding us that happiness and peace are internal states, which external riches, titles, influence, etc. can’t ultimately provide. Again he seemed to subtly let some air out of some inflated legislative egos when he said that even homeless people can be happy if they are surrounded by a community of friends who care about them–“happier even than successful businessmen or politicians,” he said smiling. “My number one commitment is [the] promotion of human love and compassion, irrespective of whether someone is a believer or non-believer, or between this believer and that believer,” he said.
A particularly interesting part of his talk comes at about 29:15. He specifically defends Muslims, apparently trying to coax listeners out of their prejudices.
What is Happiness? Sunshine in Occupied Tibet.
Unthinkable! Using religion as an excuse for killing, Dalai Lama (image by Shawn Hamilton )
“More than five decades I spent in India. In India you can see [different types of] believers live together.” He admitted that occasionally there are some problems, but he said (with a twinkle in his eye) that it is understandable, considering there is over a billion people living there. There’s bound to be a few problems. “India’s not heaven,” he said. “It’s part of the world. Some mischievous people must be there.” He went on to make his larger point that religious harmony in India is generally pretty good. “Indian Muslims [are] wonderful. It is wrong [to persecute Muslims]. We create some bad impression [that[ “Muslim” [and] “Islam” are “militant. I have a number of friends from the Muslim community. Wonderful people! All religious traditions have [the] same potential–to create a sensible human being, a compassionate human being,” he said.
The Dalai Lama also spoke about the importance of protecting the global environment. “This planet is the only place we can live happily, “breathe happily” he said, adding that the moon is beautiful but we can’t live there. Our only hope is to take care of Earth. “There’s no other choice except [to] fully protect our own home,” he said, taking the opportunity to say that those working for the benefit of the environment are engaged in something very important and necessary.
One controversial topic the Dalai Lama raised was gun control. “Real gun control must start here,” he said, pointing to his heart. He said that in order to demilitarize the world, there must be inner disarmament, an inner demilitarization. He cites anger and jealousy as examples of two internal causes of external violence. He showed a serious and firm side of himself when he mentions how people sometimes exploit religious faiths as a rationale for killing. “Unthinkable! “In the 20th century our way of thinking is [that] whenever we have some differences, some conflict, we always think [we can] to solve this by force That way of thinking is out of date,” he said confidently. “In this century, any problem [has to be] solved through talk–meet[ing] face to face. Now some of these people who create some sort of problems–so-called terrorists–these [problems] also have to be solved through human contact. [Keeping a] distance and using force, I don’t think, is the proper solution. That’s my belief,” he said, adding, “It’s our problem and our responsibility. Make some contribution for a better world, a happier humanity.”
Shawn Hamilton is a reporter and teacher in California. He began his teaching career in Taiwan (ROC) in 1989 when large rallies were supporting the protesters at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China.
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speaking with US President Barack Obama during their meeting in the Map Room of The White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2011.
Red China, after forcing His Holiness the Dalai Lama to live in exile, is pursuing the policy of ‘Obstructionism’ creating Stumbling Blocks, and erecting Roadblocks preventing global community from reaching the destination of Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speaking with US President Barack Obama during their meeting in the Map Room of The White House in Washington, DC on Friday, February 21, 2014.(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
OBAMA TO MEET DALAI LAMA AT WHITE HOUSE, DEFYING BEIJING June 15, 2016
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism: President Barack Obama meets with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the White House, Feb. 18, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
China on Wednesday warned US President Barack Obama against meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House, saying that hosting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader could damage mutual trust.
Obama has met the Dalai Lama several times before and calls the monk, who is revered by Tibetans but portrayed by Beijing as a dangerous separatist, “a good friend.”The tete a tete, planned for Wednesday will — as usual — take place behind closed doors in an effort to avoid angering China, which accuses the Nobel peace laureate of using “spiritual terrorism” to seek independence for Tibet.
“China’s Foreign Ministry has launched solemn representations with the US side, expressing our firm opposition to such an arrangement,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters.
“If such meeting goes through, it will send a wrong signal to the separatist forces seeking Tibet independence and it will damage mutual trust and cooperation,” he added.
The spiritual leader — who has lived in exile in India since a failed 1959 uprising — has for decades called for more Tibetan autonomy rather than independence.
Beijing maintains he is a “wolf in monk’s clothing” and vigorously lobbies — often successfully — against foreign leaders meeting him.
Obama made a high-profile public appearance with the Dalai Lama last year at a prayer breakfast in Washington, calling him “a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion.”
But three prior meetings were held privately, and Obama was criticised in 2010 for obliging the 80-year-old, clad in his characteristic red robes and flip flops, to leave the White House through a back door and walk past piles of snow and bags of rubbish.
Obama’s schedule indicated the Wednesday meeting would be held away from the cameras in the White House Map Room, not the Oval Office.
TIBETANS APPLAUD
Tibetans “feel happy about His Holiness meeting the president,” said Sonam Dagpo of the Tibetan government-in-exile, adding they hoped the US would support “the struggle of Tibetans.”
China has ruled Tibet since the 1950s, but many Tibetans say Beijing represses their Buddhist religion and culture — charges China denies.
More than 130 ethnic Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest at Beijing’s rule, campaign groups and overseas media have said. Most of them have died.
The Dalai Lama has described the protests as acts of desperation that he is powerless to stop.Many observers believe China is confident that the Tibetan movement will lose much of its potency and global appeal when the charismatic Dalai Lama dies.
The Dalai Lama has also increasingly spoken of succession and has not ruled out picking his reincarnation before his death, fearing that China would instead pick its own boy whom it would use to advance its agenda.
His stance has led Chinese communist rulers, who are officially atheist, to insist that the Dalai Lama can only reincarnate after his death.
Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. China erecting Roadblocks to arrive at Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. China erecting Roadblocks to finding Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism: On April 16, 1991, the 14th Dalai Lama met with US President George H.W. Bush during his first visit to The White House.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speaking with US President Bill Clinton during their meeting in The White House in Washington, DC. Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism:His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speaking with US President George Bush during their meeting in The White House on September 10, 2003.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. Red China blocking prospects for Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. Red China blocking prospects for Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. Red China blocking prospects for Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet. NOBLE PEACE PRIZE 2002. US President Jimmy Carter maintained a friendly relationship with the Tibetan Leader since 1979.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. Beijing defying prospects for finding Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. Red China blocking prospects for Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet. US-TIBET RELATIONS: It is very surprising to read the essay published by President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Adviser on the US – China relations. He makes no mention of this apparent US – Tibet relations. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is seen with Richard Blum, his wife, US Senator Dianne Feinstein, and former President Jimmy Carter.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism:The 14th Dalai Lama met with US President Bill Clinton on June 20, 2000 at The White House.Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism. Beijing defying prospects of finding Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.
Trouble in Tibet – Where is hope for World’s Future
Trouble in Tibet – Where is hope for World’s Future
I am not able to share the sense of optimism expressed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama about World’s Future. In my view, Tibet’s military occupation is symptom of World’s Spiritual Sickness. I am not expressing sense of Fear, Despair, or Hopelessness. I am stating that the World has no Future as long as nations like United States, and India continue to maintain trade and commerce relations with Red China with no concern for values of Freedom, Democracy, Peace, and Justice.
The Dalai Lama: Why I’m hopeful about the world’s future
The Dalai Lama says the shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub that left 49 people dead is an example of outdated “20th century” thinking. (Reuters)
By The Dalai Lama June 13 at 3:47 PM
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet. Since 1959, he has lived in exile in Dharamsala in northern India.
Almost six decades have passed since I left my homeland, Tibet, and became a refugee. Thanks to the kindness of the government and people of India, we Tibetans found a second home where we could live in dignity and freedom, able to keep our language, culture and Buddhist traditions alive.
My generation has witnessed so much violence — some historians estimate that more than 200 million people were killed in conflicts in the 20th century.
Today, there is no end in sight to the horrific violence in the Middle East, which in the case of Syria has led to the greatest refugee crisis in a generation. Appalling terrorist attacks — as we were sadly reminded this weekend — have created deep-seated fear. While it would be easy to feel a sense of hopelessness and despair, it is all the more necessary in the early years of the 21st century to be realistic and optimistic.
There are many reasons for us to be hopeful. Recognition of universal human rights, including the right to self-determination, has expanded beyond anything imagined a century ago. There is growing international consensus in support of gender equality and respect for women. Particularly among the younger generation, there is a widespread rejection of war as a means of solving problems. Across the world, many are doing valuable work to prevent terrorism, recognizing the depths of misunderstanding and the divisive idea of “us” and “them” that is so dangerous. Significant reductions in the world’s arsenal of nuclear weapons mean that setting a timetable for further reductions and ultimately the elimination of nuclear weapons — a sentiment President Obama recently reiterated in Hiroshima, Japan — no longer seem a mere dream.
The notion of absolute victory for one side and defeat of another is thoroughly outdated; in some situations, following conflict, suffering arises from a state that cannot be described as either war or peace. Violence inevitably incurs further violence. Indeed, history has shown that nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and peaceful democracies and is more successful in removing authoritarian regimes than violent struggle.
It is not enough simply to pray. There are solutions to many of the problems we face; new mechanisms for dialogue need to be created, along with systems of education to inculcate moral values. These must be grounded in the perspective that we all belong to one human family and that together we can take action to address global challenges.
It is encouraging that we have seen many ordinary people across the world displaying great compassion toward the plight of refugees, from those who have rescued them from the sea, to those who have taken them in and provided friendship and support. As a refugee myself, I feel a strong empathy for their situation, and when we see their anguish, we should do all we can to help them. I can also understan the fears of people in host countries, who may feel overwhelmed. The combination of circumstances draws attention to the vital importance of collective action toward restoring genuine peace to the lands these refugees are fleeing.
Tibetan refugees have firsthand experience of living through such circumstances and, although we have not yet been able to return to our homeland, we are grateful for the humanitarian support we have received through the decades from friends, including the people of the United States.
A further source of hope is the genuine cooperation among the world’s nations toward a common goal evident in the Paris accord on climate change. When global warming threatens the health of this planet that is our only home, it is only by considering the larger global interest that local and national interests will be met.
I have a personal connection to this issue because Tibet is the world’s highest plateau and is an epicenter of global climate change, warming nearly three times as fast as the rest of the world. It is the largest repository of water outside the two poles and the source of the Earth’s most extensive river system, critical to the world’s 10 most densely populated nations.
To find solutions to the environmental crisis and violent conflicts that confront us in the 21st century, we need to seek new answers. Even though I am a Buddhist monk, I believe that these solutions lie beyond religion in the promotion of a concept I call secular ethics. This is an approach to educating ourselves based on scientific findings, common experience and common sense — a more universal approach to the promotion of our shared human values.
Over more than three decades, my discussions with scientists, educators and social workers from across the globe have revealed common concerns. As a result, we have developed a system that incorporates an education of the heart, but one that is based on study of the workings of the mind and emotions through scholarship and scientific research rather than religious practice. Since we need moral principles — compassion, respect for others, kindness, taking responsibility — in every field of human activity, we are working to help schools and colleges create opportunities for young people to develop greater self-awareness, to learn how to manage destructive emotions and cultivate social skills. Such training is being incorporated into the curriculum of many schools in North America and Europe — I am involved with work at Emory University on a new curriculum on secular ethics that is being introduced in several schools in India and the United States.
It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the 21st century does not repeat the pain and bloodshed of the past. Because human nature is basically compassionate, I believe it is possible that decades from now we will see an era of peace — but we must work together as global citizens of a shared planet.
Modern Face of Trouble in Tibet – New Dimension to the Ugly Face of Occupation
MODERN FACE OF TROUBLE IN TIBET. THE UGLY FACE OF OCCUPATION HAS A NEW DIMENSION.
Tibet in recent decades is transformed beyond recognition. Modern Face of Tibet is in fact Modern Face of Trouble in Tibet. The Ugly Face of Occupation that manifested in 1950s has acquired New Dimension. Where can we find true or real face of Tibet? Not in Apartment buildings, not in highways, not in railroads, not in airports, not in business malls, not in hotels, and not in factories that find place on Tibetan Soil.
DNA
MODERN FACE OF TROUBLE IN TIBET. THE UGLY FACE OF OCCUPATION HAS A NEW DIMENSION.
Modern face of Tibet
Iftikhar Gilani | Tue, 24 May 2016-08:00am , Mumbai , dna
Sleek apartments, highways, civic facilities and cultural centres dot the far-flung region.
In Shannon County, just across Arunachal Pradesh border, a dressed-up Tsedang town, 200 km from Lhasa, wakes up to the roar of blasts early morning. It is the base of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Upon enquiry, four Indian journalists, given access to the region for the first time, were told that mountains were being blasted to clear way for an expansive railway network to link up Lhasa to strategically significant points along the disputed border with India, close to Arunachal Pradesh, also branching out to Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim. Travelling along the banks of river Brahmaputra or Yarlung Zangbo, one could see Chinese engineers engaged in building the railway network at breakneck speed. On the banks of a recently constructed artificial lake in Lhasa, a new city is coming up. A Nepali journalist, who had visited Tibetan capital in 2002, is aghast at the sight of its changed fortunes. He recalls that a decade ago, Lhasa was a dingy hamlet with thatched mud and wooden houses under the iconic Potala Palace. The city has been rebuilt. Apartments, new markets and shopping malls are being built at a feverish pace. But nobody knows for whom? The buzz is that Beijing is set to throw a surprise to the world, by opening up Tibet to foreigners. It is also believed that Beijing will soon project Tibet as a major trade hub between China and South Asia.
The 1,118-km eastern link connecting China’s fourth largest city of Chengdu to Lhasa opened last year. It has new townships built deep in treacherous mountains every 60 km, indicative of future economic activity. The Chinese transport ministry has affirmed that it will expand road network to 110,000 km by 2020 in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) alone. It also plans to complete a network of railways of 1,300 km by the same year (the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan) and build several new airports. In all, over $13 billion have been already invested in transportation in Tibet in the last 20 years. Ideological communism has not gone deep within Tibetan population. In markets or even at their work places, one could see them turning prayer beads, reciting Buddhist scriptures. The house of the village head Tawa at Kesong village in Shannon County has both red (communist) as well as Buddhist flags fluttering atop his house. Ever since China’s “reform and opening up” process began in the early 1980s, Beijing has used Buddhism as a political tool to promote its soft power both at home and abroad. Many Tibetans also feel that President Xi Jinping’s mother and wife are sympathetic to Buddhism and have openly engaged with lamas. Popular Buddhist temples, be that Jhokan Monastery, Changzhug Monastery or Sangpiling Monastery, are brimming with believers. China is also helping Nepal in promoting Lumbini as the centre of Buddhism over Bodh Gaya, much to the chagrin of India. The four sacred temples located at four holy sites in China linked to the enlightenment of the Bodhisatvas — Guanyin (Avalokiteshwara), Wenshu (Manjushri), Puxian (Samantabhadra) and Dizang Wang (Kshitigarbha) — have also become active. When Indian journalists were touring Tibet, two events reported extensively in the Chinese press didn’t go unnoticed. One was about raising the Tibet Military Command’s authority level and putting it under the jurisdiction of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground forces, which marks not only an expansion of their function and mission, but also improving their command ability. Another significant development was flagging off a 43-coach international freight train from Lanzhou, the capital of China’s northwest Gansu province, for Tibet carrying 83 cargo containers to Nepal. The train will stop at Xigaze, the nearest Tibetan town to Nepal, from where the goods will be transported to the Nepal by road. The whole journey will take 10 days. The journey includes 2,431 kilometres of rail transport and 564 kilometres of road transport and is virtually aimed at reducing Nepal’s dependence on India. Lhasa is already abundant with Nepali waiters serving at five start hotels as well as shopkeepers. Lhasa has now a direct flight from Kathmandu. Jigme Wangtso, TAR director of Information, refutes charges that a demographic profile was being changed in the region. Out of the total 3 million population, Tibetans account for 2.71 million (92%). The Han are just 245,200 (8%). Muslims also form a small minority, but are officially recognised as Tibetans unlike the Hui Muslims, who have a separate identity. They are called Kachee, literally meaning Kashmiri in Tibetan, who may have migrated and married into local Tibetan community hundreds of years ago. China’s money muscle in Tibet is on full display. But there are others who say that construction activity and building an enormous infrastructure was linked to fighting glut in the market. Chinese economy has entered into a phase where domestic consumption is required. Since people’s purchasing power cannot be increased overnight, state authorities are investing in building assets and also to keep up demand for cement and steel. As I was resting on the stairs of Potala Palace, the seat of Dalai Lama, currently in exile, an elderly Tibetan tried to converse in broken English.. “You Indian.. Dharamsala… Namaste to Dalai. Convey him to return and stay in this Palace,” he said. In Tibet University, while climbing stairs, a graffiti caught our attention, reading, “Darkest hour is before dawn.” China has literally paved the roads of Tibet with gold. But is economic prosperity an alternative to freedom and the struggle for self-determination? The debate goes on. If Chinese succeed, it will be a lesson for our leaders as well. The author, who is Chief of Bureau, dna, recently toured Tibet at the invitation of Information Office of People’s Republic of China
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Whole Dude - Whole Concept 