DHARAMSHALA, DEC 26: Sikyong Lobsang Sangay attended the 60th commemoration of All India Convention on Tibet today in Kolkata. The commemoration event was organised by the Core Group for Tibetan Cause – India to mark the date under the chairmanship of Shri Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan who was an ardent supporter of Tibet. The first convention was held on May 30-31 (1959) in Calcutta.
Jayaprakash Narayan spoke about the All India Convention on Tibet in one of his speeches in Madras whereby he reiterated the important of a peaceful resolution for Tibet: “Only few days ago I spoke on Tibet at the All India Tibet Convention in Calcutta. . . . It may be put to me that by speaking of Tibetan independence I am queering the pitch for those who may be trying to bring about a peaceful settlement. I am anxious not to queer the pitch for any one, nor do I doubt that the Tibet question can be solved in no other way than peacefully. It is for that reason that I have emphasised the need of a strong and united world opinion so that its moral pressure might persuade the Chinese Government to seek a peaceful settlement.”
The attendance of the representatives from Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) reaffirms the importance of Tibet through India’s political standing. CTA President Lobsang Sangay and Speaker Pema Jungney of Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) were present for the convention along with Shri Jagdeep Shankar, Governor of West Bengal, among other dignitaries.
In the address by Sikyong, he stressed on the importance of the Panchsheel Treaty between India and China which agreed on non-interference and territorial respect for each other.
Lobsang Sangay spoke about the discrepancies from the side of China on border issues with regards to Tibet and the consequent conflict between India and China thereafter. The event also witnessed traditional dance along with a snow lion performance by a Tibetan group. The 60th marker is also a reminder of the long-standing relationship between India and Tibet which has strengthened long after the plight of Tibetans into exile.
