Struggle without a pause
By Anupama Mahajan

THE struggle of Tibet started in 1949 when the troops of the People’s Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet. This invasion was against the international law. But till today nothing substantive could be done to alleviate Tibet’s problems and give it it’s rightful freedom. Even though 190 heads of state gathered in New York in October, 1995, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, the body founded to preserve peace and promote justice, the real world was outside which was neglected and divorced. This violation of human rights and international law is not being given any kind of consideration by the UN though the whole world presently supports Tibet’s cause.

To answer the question of Tibet’s international status it is of utmost importance to understand its past relations with China and other countries.

The history of the Tibetan state dates back to 127 B.C. with the establishment of the Yarlung Dynasty. Tibet was one of the most indomitable powers of Asia for the three centuries that followed. So much so, that it defeated China in the 8th century, and in disgrace the Chinese emperor had to flee. This rivalry kept on ensuing for the next quarter of a century. The proof of this is given on an inscription on a stone pillar in Lhasa.

The Chinese entered into a peace treaty which is known as the Treaty of Chi’ing — Shui, demarcating the boundaries between the two countries. But in 1209 Tibet was invaded by the army of Chengis Khan of Mongolia for the first time. It continued with his grandson Godan Khan and consequently Sakya Pandita and later Yuan dynasty. In the 14th century, the Tibetan Lamas became the teachers of the Chinese emperor. The great tradition of the Lamas began with the title being conferred on Lama Sonam Gyatsa. Around 16th century Lozang Chosgyan was recognised as the first Panchan Lama (meaning great scholar) and thereafter his reincarnations inherited this title. The first Dalai Lama was Sonam Gyatsa, known as Panchan Gedun Dupa, till the present Dalai Lama, who is the 14th Dalai Lama.

After a long period of a series of invasions by turn by the Gorkhas, the Sikhs and Britain, Tibet reasserted its freedom in 1913 after the downfall of the Manchu emperor. The independence of Tibet was thus fully recognised by China.

The government of Tibet was headquartered in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. It consisted of a head of state (the Dalai Lama), a cabinet of ministers (the Kashag), a national assembly (the Tsongdu), an extensive bureaucracy and a judicial system to administer the vast territory of Tibet. The government of Tibet levied taxes, minted its own currency, ran the country’s postal system and issued postal stamps.

In 1959, Tibet was an independent state when China invaded with an army of 40,000 troops. The small Tibetan force, consisting of 8,000 militia was defeated, as a result of which 4,000 Tibetan fighters were killed. After this the Chinese destroyed what came in their way. In 1951 the Tibetan government sent a five-member Committee to Beijing but nothing came out of it. The Chinese made them sign a 17-point agreement under duress without their being able to inform the Tibetan government. The delegation warned the Chinese that this agreement was being signed because of blackmail and the Dalai Lama was not bound by it. This agreement empowered the Chinese government to enter with its army men and to handle Tibet’s external affairs. The Dalai Lama heard of all this on Radio Beijing on May 27, 1951, for the first time and reacted with shock.

The Chinese slaughtered tens of thousands of Tibetans. They took this opportunity to snatch away thousands to tonnes of barely and other foodstuffs which brought about famine-like situation. The Dalai Lama, in 1956, went to India to talk about political asylum in India, but Jawaharlal Nehru convinced him to return home and talk to the Chinese government.

The inevitable confrontation came about in March 1959. There was a general scare that the Dalai Lama might be abducted.

When all avenues for negotiations seemed to be shut, the Dalai Lama decided to escape to India to appeal for international help to save his people. He left Lhasa on March 17, 1959, and re-established the Tibetan government in-exile in Dharamsala and declared: "Wherever I am, accompanied by my government, the Tibetan people recognise us as the government of Tibet." More than 80,000 Tibetans crossed the border and reached India.

Killings and destruction followed this uprising. The scenes of death and homicide were horrible with dead bodies rolling down the hills into ditches. All these atrocities have wounded deeply the hearts and minds of Tibetans. Deaths in prisons and labour and concentration camps increased so much that the figures touched 8,000 in a year. The bodies were disposed off in the river or burnt. According to information compiled by the Tibetan government-in-exile, over 1.2 million Tibetans died between 1949 and 1979.

Tibet has always been an extremely religious nation since the early days. Buddhism has not been a mere system of belief to the Tibetans, it encompasses the entirety of their culture and civilisation and constitutes the very essence of their lives. Buddhism permeated the very daily lives of the Tibetan people. In 1959 there were 6,259 monasteries with about 5,92,558 resident monks and nuns. These religious centres were housed with statues of gold and silver and studded with various jewels. Also, they became storehouses of works on literature, medicine, astrology, art, politics, etc.

Tibetan national identity became indistinguishable from its religion. Tibet became a proud Buddhist nation till the Chinese occupation. The Chinese, even though they promised in the 17-point programme, to protect the religious tradition, did not stick to it. They soon succumbed to the strong viewpoint of Mao Zedong that "religion is poison".

Even though the Chinese assert that they did not, but much of Tibetan culture and religion was destroyed between 1955 and 1961. The monks and nuns were humiliated in public and physically debarred. Sacrilege of temples became a common sight. Out of 6,259 monasteries and nunneries, only about eight remained by 1976.

Though the Chinese government claims to have reconstructed the religious monuments, this has only served the purpose of promoting tourists. And, moreover, this was done with the Tibetans’ financial and physical help. The money which is collected through charging entry fees as well as offerings made by the pilgrims is being collected by the Chinese government.

Though the Chinese government does not attack Tibet’s monasteries any longer, it still opposes religion. But religion is the main spiritual force behind Tibetans. Recently also, in the New Year celebrations, the Dalai Lama performed the famous oracle ceremony, in which a spirit enters the body of those persons who act as a medium, between the natural and spiritual realms. This phenomenon has defied scientific investigation and scrutiny so far.

The 17-point agreement on the peaceful liberation of Tibet has been refuted by the Dalai Lama after he fled Tibet in 1959. He could not renounce it earlier as it was imposed on the basis of sheer brute force. Though the Chinese claim that they have included Tibet as an important component of the Chinese peoples’ liberation cause, Tibet, over the past 43 years, has gone through sweeping changes from the serf system to modernisation.

The Dalai Lama very rightly asserts that "the options on the matter of future status of Tibet are open but the fact that Tibet was an independent nation made captive by China cannot be wiped out."

According to a Chinese government’s spokesman, the Dalai Lama is a Chinese citizen and should abandon the idea of an independent Tibet and return to China for his remaining years. But the freedom to Tibet cannot be denied.

In present-day world, no country can invade another like barbarians and take over the conquests and do whatever it likes. The Dalai Lama has been trying with all his effort for the uplift of his fellow countrymen as well as women. Tibetan women have played a leading role in the Tibetan national movement and have always rebelled against the Chinese colonial role in Tibet, as a result of which they have been arrested. Some of them have suffered torture and abuse in police custody.

The Dalai Lama encourages women to participate in the administration at all levels in the ‘Tibetan administration’. The women in Tibet enjoy none of the human rights and freedom that are taken for granted in exile. Today one-third of the workforce in the Tibetan government-in-exile consists of women. In 1988 a Tibetan woman was appointed as one of Dalai Lama’s overseas representative.

The crusade of Tibetans continues even after so many years. The Dalai Lama was asked recently in a television programme why he didn’t go to Tibet and fight for his rights like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. But to this query, his reply was that he believed in peaceful ways and means without any violence. He wants to have talks and resolve the issue of total independence. The Dalai Lama has repeatedly made a number of proposals to the Chinese Government for negotiations, but sadly these were not reciprocated by China. The Chinese have maintained that talks can be held on any subject except total independence of Tibet. The Chinese refuse to even come to the negotiating table for other causes. This desire for a peaceful situation has won the Dalai Lama the Nobel Peace Prize and other numerous awards.