NEW DELHI: As part of its lobbying campaign, a Tibetan parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok has met Union ministers of India and members of the Indian Parliament from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from 21 November. Other members of the delegation include Tibetan parliamentarians Lopon Thubten Gyaltsen and Mr Kunchok Yangphel, with Ms Tenzin Choedon, Joint Secretary at the Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat.
The delegation met Indian parliamentarians: Shri Sharad Tripathi, Shri Prem Singh Chandumajra, Shri Alok Sanjar, Shri Chedi Paswan, Shri Joyce George, Shri Ramnath Thakur on 23 November. On 24 November, the delegation met Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture. They also met Shri Ajay Nishad, Shri Ramchandra Paswan, Smt Geeta Kothapalli and Shri Ananth Kumar Hegde in the morning and Smt Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Shri Kamalbhan Singh and Shri Rolnad Sapa Tlau in the evening.
During the meetings, the delegation explained the grave political and human rights situation prevailing inside Tibet including the wave of self-immolation protests since 2009. The delegation urged the Indian leaders to raise the Tibet issue at the ongoing winter session of the parliament.
The Tibetan Parliamentary delegation has met a total of twenty eight ministers and members of parliament, and representatives from eleven political parties in India. The parliamentarians have expressed their respect for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and their strong support for Tibet and the Tibetan people.