BANGALORE: On the second day of a week-long lobby campaign that was started on the 1st of January in Bangalore city, a press conference was held in the city Press Club on Wednesday morning. The press conference which was attended by over 30 reporters and journalist from various electronic and print media began with the screening of a short documentary film on the current crisis in Tibet. Dr. Bumo Tsering read out the press statement. This was followed by Mr. Gyari Bhutuk and Mrs. Tsering Youdon briefing the media on the objectives of the month-long ‘Solidarity with Tibet’ campaign in the region. The members also spoke about various issues related with the Tibetan Freedom Struggle and the current ongoing crisis in Tibet, especially the wave of Self-immolations by the Tibetans in protest against the Chinese government. This was followed by questions from the press.

In the afternoon, the delegation called upon the Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr. Jagadish Shettar in his Office at the Vidhan Soudha and greeted him with the offering of traditional Tibetan scarf and a souvenir book titled, ‘Mahatma Gandhi and  His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Non-Violent and Compassion’ and a booklet, ‘Understanding the issue of Tibet’. The delegates thanked Mr. Shettar for the support and solidarity bestowed by the people and the government of Karnataka for the last 50 years. He was also apprised of the critical state inside Tibet, urging the Indian leadership to further stand up for Tibet at this crucial stage of Tibetan history and to adopt more assertive political stand on Tibet vis-a-vis China. Mr. Shettar expressed his deepest concern over the issue of Tibet and assured that the Government will do its best in extending their solidarity and support for the cause of Tibet in the future too.

In the evening, a dinner was hosted to the former Chief Minister Mr. B.S. Yeddyurappa, Ms. Shobha Karandlage, Honorable Minister of Energy, Mr. Murugesh Nirani, Honorable Minister for Industries and Mr. Ganesh Karnik, Honorable member of Karnataka Assembly at the Capitol hotel. At the dinner, when they were briefed of the situation in Tibet, the members expressed their strong solidarity for the cause of Tibet and assured their continuous concern and support for the Tibetans.

Mr. Yeddyurappa stated that the Central Government should do more to resolve the issue of Tibet and that the Tibetans should keep meeting the political leaders in the city more often and apprise them of the situation in Tibet. Adding her support, Honorable Minister Ms. Shobha Karandlage, who had visited Tibet twice, delved in detail the destructive policies of China unleashed in Tibet which is threatening to annihilate the Tibetan culture. She further stated that, “China does not need Tibetans. They only need the land of Tibet. Therefore they do not care about the welfare of the Tibetan people.” She also spoke on the anti-India campaigns spearheaded by China in the Himalayan border and how India is failing to protect the territorial integrity of the nation.

Mr. Ganesh Karnik, who is also a former Captain of the Indian Army, while assuring to prod his colleagues in the State Assembly to bring up the issue of Tibet in the house, acknowledged that the Central leadership in Delhi should be doing more for Tibet. But he nonetheless asserted that there should be an international pressure on China. It is also extremely important for the Tibetans to keep open the Track-II Diplomacy with China, Mr. Karnik advised.

On 3rd of Jan, the members called upon Mr. H.R. Bhardwaj, Honorable Governor of the Karnataka State at the Raj Bhavan. In an hour-long meeting, the Governor listened with great concern about the issues apprised by the Tibetans and noted that Tibet’s ongoing crisis certainly needs stronger international support. He further asserted that the “Tibetan cause is always dear to us and that our regards to Tibetan people is as much as to our own people and that Tibetan people had helped us in our most difficult times and we respect that”. The Honorable Governor stated that, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a highly compassionate person and a messenger of world peace. His presence is a strength for us and his followers are like our brothers and sisters”. Expressing his deep concerns over the wave of self-immolations in Tibet, he affirmed that, “It is very tragic that Tibetans have to self-immolate for their basic human rights”. Before concluding, the Governor assured that India will never go against Tibet and that the world is with Tibet. As a token of support, he presented the delegation a copy of his recently published book titled, “INDIA- A Fellowship of Faiths”.

The month-long All-India ‘Solidarity with Tibet’ campaign was launched by the Dharamshala based Tibetan Parliament in Exile beginning the New Year. The Campaign aims to promote awareness on Tibet issue and to garner and appeal for support and solidarity for Tibet as widespread Tibetan protests in the form of self-immolations spread across Tibet as a mark of protest against the Chinese Government.