Dharamsala (AsiaNews) - For the first time in more than 30 years, a Tibetan
Prime Minister (in exile) was invited and participated at the installation of an Indian prime minister. Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan
government loyal to the Dalai Lama and stationed in Dharamsala, was an invited
guest at the official swearing in of Narendra Modi. And now a senior executive
of Rashtryia Swayamsevak Sangh, a
paramilitary organization linked to the nationalist BJP party, has visited the
seat of government in exile to ensure "support" for the Tibetan
diaspora.
Indresh Kumar visited Prime Minister Sangay June 30: he was also welcomed by the
Tibetan Minister of the Interior Dolma Gyari and other representatives of the
executive. Kumar wanted to emphasize that the new Indian government intends to
"support the Tibetan cause in every way. It is the first time that Tibetan Prime
Minister was invited to the oath taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister. This
shows India somehow recognizes Tibet as a nation and it irked the Chinese
government. This should have happened 20 or 30 years ago, but it happened now".
The Hindu leader added that young Tibetans born in India should not be called refugees:
" For a very long time, you have been
living here, your ancestors came here as refugees. You are born here. You are
not a refugee". However, he did not want to draw any concrete conclusions as to
whether these young people are Indians or Tibetans. And speaking of the situation
in Tibet he invited local people to "continue on the path of non-violence in
resolving Tibet's issue and amplify its activism. If you want, we
can help to improve the situation".