National seminar on ‘Sino-Indian border relation-restoration of peace in India & Tibet’ held
‘Indian Govt should initiate peace talks with China on Tibet issue’

Staff Reporter
GANGTOK, September 20: The national convener of Core Group for Tibetan Cause, Dr. Anand Kumar today said that the Indian government should take concrete steps by initiating peace talks with the Chinese government on the issue of Tibet.
He said this while presenting his papers during a national seminar on ‘Sino-Indian border relation-restoration of peace in India and Tibet’ held here today.
Mr. Kumar further said that China should now come up with conditional solution for Tibet issue rather than adopting the military solution.
The seminar was held here primarily to review the approaches of India, China and the Tibetans in exile towards the challenges creating an environment of peace and progress in the Himalayan region. Participants from major parts of Himalayan region as well as major organizations engaged in awareness building about the Tibetan cause in India attended the programme organized by Himalayan Committee for Action on Tibet, India-Tibet Friendship Society in collaboration with India Tibet Co-ordination Office (ITCO), Delhi.
The seminar participants interrogated the paradoxical position of the three nations and tried to evolve a set of recommendations for making the Himalayas as the zone of peace.
Sonam Lhundup, the convener of the seminar informed that the recommendation of the seminar will be presented to the Government of India, the Government of People’s Republic of China and the Tibetan Government in exile by the core group for the Tibetan cause. The core group also intends to approach all major political parties in the Indian parliament to draw their attention for a thorough review of the changing situation on Sino-India border and inside Tibet for revising their policy on Himalayas, he added.
Tenzin Lekshay, the co-ordinator of ITCO said, the Indian and Chinese government are diverting the topic on the border dispute and is leaving the Tibetan issues aside.
‘Time has come up to review and change the policy of the Indian government on Tibetan issues,” he said. Stating that Tibetans are becoming a minority in Tibetan Autonomous Region, Mr. Lekshay said the freedom of Tibetan is based on the principles of non-violence and the teachings of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. “The Tibetan youth should come forward in taking the issue of Free Tibet forward as it is not only the matter of His Holiness but also of six million Tibetan population,” he added
PT Bhutia, the general secretary of India Tibet Friendship Society (ITFS), Kalimpong said that the Chinese government should justify the long demand of the Tibetans.
He accused the Chinese government of not having a proper map of Tibet till date.
Udai Chettri, General Secretary of Bharat Tibet Sayog Manch said, the freedom of Tibet is the security of India. He said, the Chinese people have been rampantly involved in destroying the natural resources of Tibet and adding more pollution with reckless deforestation and trafficking the faunas and the floras.
Dundup Dorjee, the Tibetan Welfare Officer, Gangtok in his address said there will be extensive deliberation and interaction on the middle way engagement mechanism propounded by His Holiness and endorsed by the Tibetan people inside Tibet and in Tibetan Diaspora for a mutual solution.