Tibet’s ‘govt-in-exile’ to unveil ‘Thank You India’ campaign from March 31

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Jan 18

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) will be launching a year-long “Thank You India” campaign beginning March 31, 2018 with a series of events like “Pray for India” in May, “Towards Green India” and “Towards Healthy India” in June, “Feed the Hungry” in July, “Towards a Clean India” in October and “Cover the Cold” in December.

Addressing a press conference here, CTA president Lobsang Sangay today said, “The current year is significant since March 31, 2018 will mark the beginning of the 60th year of His Holiness the Dalai Lama stepping on the Indian soil.”

Giving details of the week-long events that will take place in the national capital, Information Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) of CAT Dharon Sharling informed that an inter-faith prayer meeting of leaders of different religious groups led by “His Holiness the Dalai Lama” will take place on March 31 at Rajghat, which will mark the beginning of the year-long “Thank You India” campaign.

This will be followed by a series of events like public meetings, Tibetan cultural performances and food festival in the national capital on successive days. Later all the thematic events will be organised all across the country by Tibetan people.

Meanwhile, referring to the Tibetan struggle based on the principles of “truth, Gandhian non-violence and justice”, as “Made-in-India struggle”, Dr Sangay alluded to the fact that the success of “the Tibetan struggle will both determine and reflect India’s success story”. He went on to add that India has “the legitimacy, the privilege and the ability” to “support, sustain and ensure” the success of the Tibetan struggle.

The CAT president, however, cautioned New Delhi against China’s deceptive policies and said India should be wary of China’s belligerent attitude.

“To understand the Doklam face-off, you have to look at China’s ‘right hand palm and five fingers’ strategy,” he said, adding: “Chinese leader Mao Zedong described Tibet as the right hand palm while Ladakh, Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and Arunachal Pradesh as five fingers”.