The Solidarity actions around the world in the support of present crisis in Tibet.

April 17, 2008 report

Hindrance

Report from Delhi on 17th April, 2008
The main highlights of the day were:

Inter-faith Prayer at Rajghat: Representatives from various faiths congregated at Rajghat to bless the Tibetan non-violent movement at 10 am in the morning. Monks with the Himalayan Committee for Action on Tibet and Tibetans offered prayers along with the other groups. A Tibetan Butter Lamp was lit at the Rajghat to honour Mahatma Gandhi and carry his message of non-violence and peace which also is the path followed by the Tibetan freedom struggle and the parallel peace run of the day.

Parallel Peace Run-Torch For Tibet: The Butter Lamp was carried along with the Torch for Tibet to Samta Sthal across the road from Rajghat where thousands of Tibetans and Indian supporters had gathered to cheer the peace runners. The Torch for Tibet was carried as a symbol of our non-violent struggle for fundamental freedoms and persistence to seek a lasting solution to the issue of Tibet through negotiation.
The relay was flagged off by George Fernandes, Ex Defense Minister of India and long term supporter of Tibet after a great display of yak dance and auspicious Tashi Shoepa dance from the TIPA troupe.  Nafisa Ali, Former National Swimmer/Social Activist and Kirti Azad ( Former Cricketer) jointly carried the torch in the first leg of the run. There was a core group of 50 runners in the first leg and the numbers rose to 500 by the time the runners converged to Jantar mantar
The route followed LNJP Road to Ram Lila Ground Chowk, turned left and went over the Ranjit Singh flyover to the Barakhamba Rd./Tolstoy Marg crossing.  From there, the runners went straight down on Tolstoy Marg, crossing Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Janpath to end at Jantar Mantar.
After the arrival of the runners at Jantar mantar, there were more performances from TIPA and also prayers and chantings by Buddhist monks.

Solidarity Gathering at Jantar Mantar:
Among the Indian personalities present were George Fernandes (Ex-Defense Minister of India), Jaya Jaitley (Ex-MP), Kirren Rijiju (MP), Swami Agnivesh (Religious Leader), Vandana Shiva (Eminent Enviromentalist), Mohan Singh (MP), Nafisa Ali (Former Indian Swimmer and Social Activist), Kirti Azad (Former Indian Cricketer), Arun Kumar Sharma (MP) and O T Lepcha (MP) and Sonal Mansingh (Indian Dancer), Suresh Nautiyal, Radha Bahenji (Chairman, Gandhi Peace Foundation), Shiv Kumar (General Secretary, Samata Party), Pratush Nandan ( President, Students Union, JD (U)) and Gandhians Rajiv Vohra and Neeruji
Prominent Indian Tibet support group members, Dr. Anand Kumar (India Tibet Friendship Society) and Dr. Trikha (Core Group for Tibetan Cause) gave speeches in support to the Tibetan movement.
Great deal of work was put into setting the whole protest site in jantar mantar to portray little Lhasa with a grand potala background and small Tibetan houses with families in traditional dresses.

Issued by the Tibetan Solidarity Committee-Delhi Chapter