The reason, however, is loud and clear: systematic marginalisation of Tibetans in their own homeland, denial of religious freedom, consistent and persistent human rights violations and, worst of all, what the Dalai Lama has called the “cultural genocide” of his people.

The issue here is not whether Tibet is a part of China or not. India has acknowledged, and this was explicitly stated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his visit to China in 2003, that “the Tibet Autonomous Region is an integral part of the People’s Republic of China”. Therefore, if any Indian condemns the Chinese communists’ brutality in Tibet, it is not to be interpreted as questioning our government’s “One China” policy. The real issue is: whether or not India’s civil society, political parties and government have a duty to express concern over China’s repressive measures in Tibet and to show our solidarity with our Tibetan brethren in their hour of suffering.

There are two parties in India — Congress and the CPM — which, instead of expressing concern, have chosen the path of cowardice. Congress leaders have been discouraged from meeting the Dalai Lama. To the best of my knowledge, Sonia Gandhi has never called on His Holiness. (I do know that she never bothered to even reply to any of the letters written by Taslima Nasreen.)

As far as the leaders of the CPM are concerned, they have covered themselves with ignominy with their silence over — nay, justification of — the Chinese government’s repressive measures in Tibet. Here is their ludicrous poser: “How can we condemn the incidents in Tibet? How would India react if any other nation were to raise the issue of what is happening in Kashmir?” Only those who consider India’s stand on Kashmir to be inherently insupportable, and are also blind to the Pakistan-aided and jihad-inspired campaign of cross-border terrorism in India, can see a parallel between the situations in Kashmir and Tibet.

... contd.