mahabahu.com – by Novanita Sharma
The annexation of Tibet by communist People’s Republic of China in 1950s and it’s the subsequent forceful occupation by communist China gave birth to the Tibetan freedom movement. The Tibetan national uprising in march 1959 pulled the entire Tibet into Tibetan freedom movement. The consequent exodus of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama seeking exile in India followed by millions of Tibetans who found asylum in India and other countries as refugees gradually consolidated support from many different countries to the Tibetan freedom movement in the consequent years. The Tibetan freedom movement earned due respect and support from the global community because of its firm commitment in the values of non-violence and humanity.
This resolute non-violent resistance movement of the Tibetans (which include the Tibetans living in Tibet as well as the Tibetan Diaspora scattered over the globe) against one of the most oppressive regimes ever witnessed in human history exemplifies greatest human endurance and perseverance of all times. This exemplary resilience of the Tibetan freedom movement gives hope to 8 billion human beings. Tibetans have incurred irreparable loss of life, property and heritage under the 70 years of autocratic rule of China in Tibet. Till date, 1 million Tibetans have been killed by Chinese authorities and thousands of monasteries have been destroyed so far. The peaceful Tibetans have resorted to put their bodies ablaze protesting against this systemic cultural and ethnic cleansing of Tibet under the Chinese rule. Till now 154 Tibetans have attained martyrdom by self-immolating themselves protesting against the repressive Chinese policies and its ruthless rule in Tibet. The saga of human rights violation faced by the Tibetans in Tibet is beyond imagination of any civilized human society. Despite such atrocities, Tibetans has shown the grit and strength to pursue a truly non-violent freedom movement for the independence and justice for their nation. Salute to this Tibetan spirit; this indomitable spirit could never be bound in shackles for too long, no matter how mighty and powerful the oppressor is. Click here to read more.