New Delhi, 17th December 2024: As the Indian Parliament’s winter session is underway, members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile on its second day of Tibet advocacy initiative in New Delhi reached out to one Minister of State, 30 members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, representing 6 different political parties and one independent candidate from 12 states, as well as various other dignitaries.

Their objective is to raise awareness about the serious challenges faced by the Tibetan people under the Chinese Communist regime, express gratitude to the government and people of India for their hospitality in hosting His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees since 1959, and encourage Indian Parliamentarians to join the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet (APIPFT).

In the eight point appeal letter submitted to the aforementioned Indian leaders, the Tibetan Parliamentarians appealed that Tibet should be recognized as an occupied nation with a distinct and sovereign past, supported by historical evidence. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) should engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama or elected Tibetan leaders to resolve the Tibet-China conflict under the Middle Way Policy, seeking genuine autonomy within China’s constitution.

They also appealed that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) should initiate studies on the environmental impact of China’s exploitation of Tibet’s resources and its contribution to global climate change. Independent human rights organizations must be granted access to monitor the human rights situation in Tibet, and UN Special Rapporteurs should be invited to visit. China must also release all Tibetan political prisoners, including Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama. The PRC should cease its policies aimed at eradicating Tibetan culture, language, and religion.

Additionally, urging that a national legislative framework should be established to combat China’s authoritarianism and disinformation campaigns, which threaten democratic institutions and global stability. Legislators must raise awareness and express concerns about human rights violations in Tibet on all available platforms.

The parliamentarians were grouped into 6 committees with the first committee consisting of Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, MP Geshe Monlam Tharchin, MP Youdon Aukatsang, MP Tashi Dhundup, and MP Tenzing Jigme met with MP Shashi Tharoor (INC), Kerala Chairman of Committee on External Affairs; MP Kartik Chandra Pal (BJP) WB; MP Vinod Kumar Bind (BJP) UP, MP Manoj Tigga (BJP) WB; MP Dullu Mahato (BJP) Jharkhand; MP Manish Jaiswal (BJP) Jharkhand; MP Khagen Murmu (BJP) West Bengal.

The second committee with Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang, MP Dawa Phunkyi, MP Kunga Sotop, MP Lobsang Thupten, and MP Thupten Gyatso reached out to MP Babu Singh Kushwaha, Samajwadi Party, U.P; MP Praveen Patel, BJP, Uttar Pradesh; MP Ram Prasad Chaudhary, U.P; MP Rajkumar Sangwan, U.P, Rashtriya Lok Dal; MP Chandan Singh Chauhan, Bijno, U.P, Rashtriya Lok Dal; MP Imran Masood, Saharanpur, U.P (INC); MP Lalji Verma, Samjwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh; MP A D Singh, RJD, Bihar; MP Chatrapal Gangwar, Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh; MP Arun Kumar Sagar Shahjahanpur, and Lok Sabha member from UP (BJP).

And the third group with MP Dawa Tsering, MP Tenpa Yarphel, MP Rigzin Lhundup, MP Wangdue Dorjee, and MP Pema Tso met with MP Haneefa Jan, Lok Sabha member from Ladakh UT (Independent Candidate), MP Devesh Shakya, Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh (Samajwadi Party), MP Rajkumar Sangwan, Lok Sabha member from UP.

The fourth committee consisitng of MP Tenzin Jigdal, MP Tenpa Yarphel, MP Tsaneytsang Dhondup Tashi, MP Tsering Yangchen, and MP Phurpa Dorjee held meetings with MP Tapir Gao, Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh and Co-convener of APIPFT; and MP Shankar Lalwani, Lok Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh.

The fifth group consisting of MP Lopon Thupten Gyaltsen, MP Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, MP Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen, and MP Choedak Gyatso engaged with MP Dr Hemang Joshi, Lok Sabha member; MP Harish Chandra Meena INC, Lok Sabha member from Rajasthan; MP Dr. Manna Lal Rawat, Lok Sabha member from Rajasthan; and MP Damodar Agarwal (LS) Rajasthan. BJP.

The sixth group consisting of MP Migyur Dorjee, MP Geshe Lharampa Gowo Lobsang Phende, MP Tsering Lhamo, MP Lobsang Gyatso Sither, and MP Thondup Tsering met with Shri Ramdas Athawale, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, and apprised him on the critical situation inside of Tibet. The Minister of state invited all the delegation of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile for a lunch on the following day. The sixth committee also met with MP M. K. Raghavan, Lok Sabha member and Secretary of Congress Parliamentary Party from Kerala (INC); MP Govindbhai Laljibhai Dholakia, Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat (BJP);  MP Dineshbhai Kodarbhai Makwana, Lok Sabha member from Gujarat (BJP); and MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Rajya Sabha member from Bihar (INC).

This advocacy effort is being coordinated by the India Tibet Coordination Office (ITCO) with its Coordinator and staff alongside Tibetan Parliamentary staff members accompanying the committees during their meetings.