I often go to Majnu Ka Tila after college it’s quite and not
crowded, very unlike most of Delhi. It feels good to be there, specially the
cafĂ© at the very heart of ‘MT’ as we
fondly call it! Even after having innumerable cups of coffee and the street
side treat laping, I had never thought
that the same place would one day turn out to be the home of a hero who
sacrificed his life for his people, for his country and most importantly for
‘Freedom’. I am talking about Jhampel Yeshi, a 27-year-old Tibetan living in
exile in India, set himself aflame at a protest on 26th March 2012
in New Delhi against the forthcoming arrival of Chinese President Hu Jintao. It
was at least the 30th time a Tibetan had
self-immolated this year alone, a shocking statistic. But as Yeshi’s fiery
protest took place in India - rather than in Tibetan areas of China, where most
of the immolations have occurred - it received more coverage by the press.
Yeshi died from his injuries a day later, prompting more
demonstrations by Tibetans in India against what they consider the brutal
Chinese occupation of their homeland. The Indian government, nervous about
upsetting China, engaged in a full-on crackdown, arresting close to 300
Tibetans on an archaic colonial law that wards against such dissent.
Yeshi before self immolating left a poignant hand written note. He
wrote, ‘the fact that the Tibetan people are setting themselves on fire in this
21st Century is to let the world know about their suffering.’ The number of
Tibetan self immolations in China has crossed over thirty. But is the world
listening?
Soon
after the incident as usual the Chinese authorities put the blame on the Dalai
Lama. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei accused the Dalai Lama
of ‘masterminding’ the series of self immolations. The Chinese officials also
‘complimented’ the Indian authorities for their ‘handling’ of the situation.
Apart from officials, not many in India would be enthused to receive such a
compliment!
And yet
the Chinese refuse to take a second look at what is actually causing such
unrest in Tibet. Areas inhabited by Tibetans are under harsh security cover.
Many new road check points have been built and they are manned by heavily armed
Para-Military Police. The Chinese have also instituted ‘monastic management’
plans in order to control religious life. About 21,000 Chinese officials have
been deployed to ‘befriend’ Tibetan monks and dossiers have been created on
most of the latter. In addition, over a million national flags and Mao
portraits have been distributed; monasteries have to compulsorily hang Mao
portraits. Such heavy handedness is causing great disaffection amongst the
general Tibetan population.
Sadly for
the Tibetans, apart from human rights activists, no country has spoken up for
them or for their obvious suffering. When a Tunisian street vendor Mohamed
Bouazizi self immolated in Tunis on 17 December 2010, he actually helped launch
the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ which led to widespread changes in the Arab World.
Unfortunately for Jamphel Yeshi, nothing similar seems to have happened in
Tibet. Even when the Chinese occupied Tibet in 1950 and the Tibetans took their
case to the UN, no major country including Nehru’s India supported their case.
While most are demonstrably anxious about the goings on in Syria and critical
of the killings of innocent civilians there, few if any are prepared to shed a
tear for the hapless Tibetans.
The
reasons are not far to seek. No one wishes to annoy the Chinese. The People’s
Republic of China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It is the
second largest economy in the world after the United States and of recent has
also grown considerably in military might. Western countries which used to raise Tibet as an
issue in their relations with China now also appear to overlook or bypass it
when dealing with China.
On the eve of the anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising, mass protests were launched by Tibetans and their support groups from their exiled capital Dharamsala, India. Hunger strikes, Candle light vigils, remonstrations and public anger were witnessed in every Tibetan community across the world.
Lobsang Wangyal, an exiled Tibetan entrepreneur living in India says, "Tibetans in Tibet have long said they are not happy under Chinese rule. The self-immolations are saying that they mean it. But the world is paying little attention. It gives a feeling that 30 Tibetans risking their lives is still not enough to make a point and as if more lives should be sacrificed."
On the eve of the anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising, mass protests were launched by Tibetans and their support groups from their exiled capital Dharamsala, India. Hunger strikes, Candle light vigils, remonstrations and public anger were witnessed in every Tibetan community across the world.
Lobsang Wangyal, an exiled Tibetan entrepreneur living in India says, "Tibetans in Tibet have long said they are not happy under Chinese rule. The self-immolations are saying that they mean it. But the world is paying little attention. It gives a feeling that 30 Tibetans risking their lives is still not enough to make a point and as if more lives should be sacrificed."
However,
all is not lost for the Tibetans. With the evolution of the new media and
social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook, etc., the suffering of
the Tibetans is now known worldwide. Millions all over the world who saw the
self immolation of Jamphel Yeshi could not but have failed to be moved at the
gruesome sight and at the plight of the hapless Tibetans. As more such self
immolations take place, the revulsion for Chinese policies in Tibet will grow
exponentially.
I for
myself will continue going to Majnu Ka tila, to enjoy my cup of coffee and
savour the spicy laping; but now MT will no t be the same old MT for me, from now on it is a sacred
site where a benevolent soul like Jhampel Yeshi once resided. Bhod Rangzen!! *
* Bhod means
TIBET, Rangzen means INDEPENDENCE, in Tibetan it means FREE TIBET.
(I had written this article exactly two years from now, and on the 2nd anniversary of the incident I am finally uploading it on my blog. MT will always have a special place in my heart, forever!)
(I had written this article exactly two years from now, and on the 2nd anniversary of the incident I am finally uploading it on my blog. MT will always have a special place in my heart, forever!)