Indian parliamentarian questions Dalai Lama and Tibetans’ silence over India-China border dispute

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, July 27: A BJP Parliamentarian from Bihar has cautioned the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetans living in India for remaining silent amidst escalating tension between India and China over border dispute.

“Even as India-China ties touch a new low over a border dispute and war clouds loom large, the absence of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama from the scene is unbelievable to say the least. Not only Dalai Lama, but even the Tibetans living in India are silent,” BJP Member of the Rajya Sabha, Ravindra Kishore Sinha wrote in an opinion piece titled ‘Why is the Dalai Lama silent?’ published in The Statesman.

Image- Mail Online
Image- Mail Online

Highlighting the graveness of the border dispute between the two Asian super powers, the BJP parliamentarian stated, “It would be an understatement to say that the situation is grave and serious as 6,000 soldiers are facing each other eyeball-to-eyeball.”

The Rajya Sabha member further remarked that it’s time the Dalai Lama could and should pro-actively use his good offices and stature to appraise top leaders of the world about the current situation and tell them how brutally the Chinese government is treating people in Tibet.

Talking about the gravity of the border stand off, the BJP MP took a jibe at the Dalai Lama. “India needs active support from the Dalai Lama. Sadly enough, this is missing. He has not uttered even a word against the ulterior designs of China. Why? Dalai Lama ought to speak the truth. India doesn’t expect that he becomes our spokesperson. However, India can expect that he exposes the deadly designs of China,” Sinha stated.

And for the Tibetans living in India, the Parliamentarian has said that while Tibetans enjoy a great deal of freedom in India, ranging from applying for Indian citizenship based on legal provisions to freely protesting against the repressive Chinese regime for atrocities in Tibet and during the state visit of Chinese leaders, why not a single march has been carried out in Delhi or any part of the country.

“This is somewhat bewildering. Indians certainly expect moral support from the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community. Sadly, this is not forthcoming. This is a bitter lesson for India,” Sinha concluded.