Bomdila : In par with the ongoing Tibet’s cause and issue advocacy by Tibetan Parliamentary delegation in the North-Eastern part of India, delegates Mr. Pema Jungney and Ven. Kunga Sotop reached Itanagar (AP) on July 9 and met with the State’s ministers including Mr. Jamphel Wangdue, President of Religion and Cultural Affairs in the evening of the same day.
The Tibetan Parliamentary delegates met with Mr. Tenzing Norbu Thongdok, Speaker of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative assembly and Secretary of the assembly on the next day. They engaged in vigorous discussion over the probability of the members of State’s assembly to join Tibet support groups and on their visit to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh in near future.
Coinciding the Tibetan Parliamentary delegation visit with the protest rally against Tibetans by a student organization called the Students United Movement All Arunachal (SUMAA), the Tibetan Parliamentary delegation met with concerned leaders and authorities and concerted to hold discussion over the ongoing matter for its resolution.
On July 12, shugmol (sic) meeting was held with the members of Itanagar Buddhist Cultural Society (IBCS) and thereafter, met with Mr. Pema Khandu, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. The delegates apprised the Chief Minister on various issues ranging from the possibility of members of State’s assembly in joining Tibet support groups to SUMAA protest rally against the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy 2014 since July 13. Mr. Pema Khandu, forthwith rang the police head-quarter in Bomdila while assuring the delegates of both the ongoing matter and the state’s full support for Tibet’s struggle movement.
The delegates also approached Mr. B.D.Sharma, Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, to whom the delegates elucidated on the critical situation inside Tibet. In reciprocal, he shared anecdotes from his visit to Tibet till Lake Mansarovar and expressed his solidarity with the circumstances of Tibetans.
On July 16, they paid visit to Shanti Deva Vidyalaya and as per the request by the school’s Principal, they spoke on the Tibetan Administration-in-Exile to the students of Class IX and X. In the evening around 3 pm, they met with Dr. Sonal Swaroop, District Commissioner of Bomdila. After the formal introduction of the selves and the purpose of their visit, they apprised the District Commissioner on the ongoing protest rally by SUMAA, to which she assured the Tibetan Parliamentary delegation on the welfare and safety of the Tibetan residents of Tenzingang Tibetan settlement and also on the protest rally.
On July 18, the delegates reached Tawang within the three hours journey from Bomdila. On the same day, residents of Tawang area, belonging to 37 different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) gathered together to condemn the protest rally against Tibetans by SUMAA. The delegation met with Mr. Lama Tashi Chogyal, President of India-Tibetan Friendship Society and Mr. Lhundup Chosang, President of Bharat-Tibbat Sahyaog March, (Tawang Unit) along with nine other representatives. Thereupon, the representatives informed the Tibetan Parliamentary on the resolution passed to condemn the protest against the Tibetans by the student organization and also on the gratefulness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Central Tibetan Administration to the Mönpa people. They expressed the opposition of the Mönpa people against the protest rally and during the dinner gathering on July 19, a copy of condemnation letter against the ‘groundless charges and issues roused by the so-called SUMA (sic)‘ was presented to the Tibetan Parliamentary delegation.
In the evening of July 19, the delegates met with seven members of Tawang District Students Union, along with its President.
The next day, the delegates met with Mr. Sang Phunstok (IAS), District Commissioner, Tawang and discussed on the ongoing protest-rally. Thereafter, the Tibetan parliamentarians left for Bomdila. They also visited school built under the patronage of Kagyue monastery at the northern part of Tawang. Around 5 in the evening, they reached Bomdila and met with representatives of Bomdila, Rupa and Shergao including H.E. Khen Rinpoche of Bomdila monastery. They denied the allegations of Monpas protesting against the Tibetans as proliferated in various social medias and expressed their strong condemnation over protest by the so-called students organization against Tibetans.
Likewise, upon meeting with Mr. Raja Bhantia (IPS) Superintendent of Police (SP), Bomdila, he also urged the delegates not to worry over the said matter and convinced them of the residing Tibetans’ security. The Tibetan Parliamentary delegates also expressed their gratitude to him on behalf of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and Central Tibetan Administration, stating that they had heard of all the assistance and support rendered by the Superintendent of Police to the Tibetans via the locality’s Tibetan Settlement Officer.
On July 21, they met with Mr. Naresh Glow, former minister and MLA, who expressed deep mortification over the July 13 protest-rally and solicited forbearance over the matter as he thanked the two Tibetan parliamentary delegation for their visit.
