Seven years back, around this time of the year, I was locked up in a cold prison cell in Lhasa. It is one of those rare stories of a Tibetan born and brought up in India, who had never seen Tibet, went to Tibet crossing the imaginary border in reality on foot
The concept of non-violence is a strange one. For us, accustomed to generations and centuries of violence as perhaps the only way for people to get their freedom, rights, desires, wants and needs; the fact that non-violence is a legitimate channel to achieve these objectives sits uneasily.
In the tireless drive of the Dalai Lama and his admirers to promote the Tibetan struggle as a wholly non-violent affair conducted by a race of uniquely spiritual people (who would rather give up their country than commit any act of violence) truth has, unfortunately, become the first of casualties.
Today, India and China 'celebrate' the 50th anniversary of the 'Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India,' better known as the 'Panchsheel Agreement.'
Talk about going from bad to worse. First, officials from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa offended common standards of diplomacy - not to mention decency - by advising Paul Martin to have nothing to do the Dalai Lama - or else.
The People's Republic of China has labelled the 14th Dalai Lama a "jackal," a "feudal serf-owner" and a "wolf in monk's clothing," among other colourful epithets. And now, against the backdrop of the exiled Tibetan leader's planned visit to Canada
The Tibet lobby is celebrating, and the Chinese embassy fulminating, over Paul Martin's decision to meet the Dalai Lama when he comes to Ottawa next week. The fuss on both sides is overdone.
In an age when religious and ethnic leaders from Iraq to Sri Lanka have promoted violent attacks and suicide bombings as a means to achieve their political objectives, one leader has taken a different path.
You wouldn't think anyone would pass up the chance to meet a Nobel Peace Prize winner - especially if he's one of the most respected religious leaders on earth. I'm talking about his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
We were ready to jump, all 48 of us "mostly young Tibetans, some elders too" ready to pounce at the Chinese Embassy in Delhi. We waited with baited breath, lying low, communicating in signals and whispers on mobile phones.
