Since time immemorial the Himalayan principality of Tibet had led an insulated existence, zealously guarding its traditions and keeping alien elements out, so much so that it had earned itself the sobriquet of being a forbidden land. Its idyllic existence had been shattered six decades ago, when the Chinese, aware of the region’s strategic importance, had marched upon the peaceful Buddhist community and subjugated it. Tibet sits on the roof of the Asian world, from where many of the principal rivers of this continent, capable of being harnessed to yield much needed electricity, originate. Besides being of military use, the Tibetan plateau is also rich in other forms of natural resources, cause enough for the expansionist Chinese to lay claims upon it. At that time communist China was on its way towards being another superpower, and the so called free world was chary of upsetting it. Thus, apart from showering words of condemnation, precious little was then done to rectify the blatant injustice, and the Tibetan community left to wage its anti-Chinese struggle on its own. The Chinese, in the name of integrating Tibet into its mainstream, had embarked on mindless prosecution, forcing its spiritual head, the Dalai Lama, to flee the country in 1959 and seek sanctuary in India. Periodic uprisings by the hapless Tibetans against repression have been ruthlessly suppressed, stark testimony to the impotence of the rest of the world.
The protests last year to mark the first uprising had been extremely violent and bloody, and the repressive measures unleashed by the Chinese the most brutal yet. Since those protests had preceded the Beijing Olympics, at a time when the Chinese administration was somewhat vulnerable, it was expected that nations sympathetic to the Tibetan cause would take advantage of the situation, and wrest concessions on the tatter’s behalf. Yet, nothing of that nature has happened. On the contrary, China has continued its campaign of terror, killing and imprisoning thousands of Tibetans, coercing the Dalai Lama to call Tibet a “hell on earth”. No doubt, the anniversary of last year’s uprising this month has passed off without much resistance, a few minor bomb-blasts acting as spurs to its memory. But the very fact that all foreigners, including reporters, had been ordered out of the Tibetan region prior to the anniversary testifies to the fact that latent resistance still exists even after half a century. Unfortunately, it continues to be an unequal struggle, the “middle path” advocated by the Dalai Lama being no match against Chinese military might. Real politics, rather than idealism, being the keyword to international relations today, no nation would alienate an economic giant in order to fight for a tiny community, and thus it would also continue to be a lonely struggle for the denizens of the hell on earth. ASSAM TRIBUNE
The protests last year to mark the first uprising had been extremely violent and bloody, and the repressive measures unleashed by the Chinese the most brutal yet. Since those protests had preceded the Beijing Olympics, at a time when the Chinese administration was somewhat vulnerable, it was expected that nations sympathetic to the Tibetan cause would take advantage of the situation, and wrest concessions on the tatter’s behalf. Yet, nothing of that nature has happened. On the contrary, China has continued its campaign of terror, killing and imprisoning thousands of Tibetans, coercing the Dalai Lama to call Tibet a “hell on earth”. No doubt, the anniversary of last year’s uprising this month has passed off without much resistance, a few minor bomb-blasts acting as spurs to its memory. But the very fact that all foreigners, including reporters, had been ordered out of the Tibetan region prior to the anniversary testifies to the fact that latent resistance still exists even after half a century. Unfortunately, it continues to be an unequal struggle, the “middle path” advocated by the Dalai Lama being no match against Chinese military might. Real politics, rather than idealism, being the keyword to international relations today, no nation would alienate an economic giant in order to fight for a tiny community, and thus it would also continue to be a lonely struggle for the denizens of the hell on earth. ASSAM TRIBUNE
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