"I am more of an Indian, except for my chinky Tibetan face"...wrote Tenzin Tsundue in his essay "My Kind of Exile", which won the Outlook/Picador Prize for Non Fiction. Apparently, the nation in question does not think so.
Tsundue has been slapped with a gag order "forbidding him to leave the territorial jurisdiction of Dharamshala Town until November 25, 2006. The letter, issued by the Office of the Superintendent of Police, threatens Tsundue with prosecution under the Foreigners Act of 1946 if he fails to obey the order. When asked what prosecution would mean, the Additional Superintendent of Police, Santosh Patial, replied: "Deportation to Tibet."
The pressure on Tsundue is the result of his high profile protests during the visits of Chinese Prime Ministers Zhu Rongji and Wen Jiabao in 2002 and 2005. Hu Jintao will visit India from November 20-23, 2006." (read more here )
This order has been condemned by all supporters of the Tibetan Cause and I join the Friends of Tibet community in condemning this deportation threat given to Tenzin Tsundue. I also condemn the travel ban on Tenzin Tsundue. Denying him the right to wage a non-violent protest against the Chinese occupation in Tibet is going against the tenets of democracy and freedom of speech.
This is an attack on the freedom of all Tibetans and people living in democratic India. It is a shame on the Government of India and disrespect to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and all those who struggled for independence in this country. "Clearly this is pressure from the Chinese government," said Tenzin Tsundue, General Secretary of Friend of Tibet. "I was born in India and I am working only nonviolently for the human rights and freedom of my people. This issue is not about me but it is about the six million Tibetans who are suffering every day under Chinese rule and who are deprived of their voice to speak out against the occupation.” As of now, eleven policemen are following Tsundue around the clock and police have also taken up residence in the room next to his.
As a Tibetan born and brought up in India, of refugee parents, I am shocked and apalled at this turn of events. Like me, Tenzin Tsundue was born in India and is an Indian citizen by birth. Since he happens to be born of refugee parents, and since he continues to hold a RC (Residential Certificate) which all refugees hold, suddenly his nationality has been questioned and he has become vulnerable to threats like this. Denying a person his nationality is like taking away his freedom. Tenzin Tsundue has been twice robbed of freedom, first by the Chinese and now by the Indian Police. And with him an entire generation of second generation Tibetans born in India will now feel vulnerable...What if..? It could be us tomorrow....
When I watched 'Rang De Basanti', the film had a powerful effect on me, like it did for everyone who watched it. It made me wish for Tibet to have similar warriors who would fight for Tibet's
freedom. 'Rangzen', the Tibetan word for 'Azaadi' flashed in my mind. And this picture came to my mind instantly. The picture of the modern Tibetan struggle for justice. No,.. not the Dalai Lama, but Tenzin Tsundue! Tsundue with his red headband...symbolizing the restless Tibetan youth...symbolizing the cry for genuine freedom...symbolizing the new generation of Tibetans who will not stand by and watch quietly while their country of origin is plundered by the Chinese...a new generation who will not allow Tibetans to become a minority in their own country...a new generation who will find new ways to protest the illegal occupation of their homeland by the Chinese... A new generation who has tasted freedom in secular and democratic India...and hope for the same for their fellow countrymen who are still in Tibet!
freedom. 'Rangzen', the Tibetan word for 'Azaadi' flashed in my mind. And this picture came to my mind instantly. The picture of the modern Tibetan struggle for justice. No,.. not the Dalai Lama, but Tenzin Tsundue! Tsundue with his red headband...symbolizing the restless Tibetan youth...symbolizing the cry for genuine freedom...symbolizing the new generation of Tibetans who will not stand by and watch quietly while their country of origin is plundered by the Chinese...a new generation who will not allow Tibetans to become a minority in their own country...a new generation who will find new ways to protest the illegal occupation of their homeland by the Chinese... A new generation who has tasted freedom in secular and democratic India...and hope for the same for their fellow countrymen who are still in Tibet! I did not approve of all of Tenzin's protests. The first time he climbed the scaffolding of a hotel in Mumbai...I applauded. When he climbed a tower in IISC in Bangalore during visit, I was angry. How can he embarass the Indian Government I thought. Dharam Singh had every right to be angry. We should honour the country we live in and not cause it diplomatic and international embarrassment by pulling off a stunt like this. Having said this, I could not help but applaud his sheer strength of will and conviction. When I heard of how the police beat him up in the police station, I felt sad and helpless that we couldn't help him. While many Tibetans of our generation are busy chasing material comforts in life, here is one person who is truly a warrior...A true freedom fighter. And I was humbled and ashamed at my earlier incriminating thoughts about him.
By threatening to deport Tenzin Tsundue to Tibet, the Indian Government has taken away the most important part of Tenzin's identity. That of an Indian! And by denying him his Indianness and nationality, perhaps they have served him the biggest blow of all. After this I'm sure the blows of the police officers will not hurt.
Update: While the Indian media has not picked up the story, this is being picked up in the blogworld. Read more:
1. The Acorn - Don't restrain Tenzin Tsundue
2. Sepia Mutiny - The silencing of Tenzin Tsundue
3. Desipundit - Another Assault on Freedom
4. Friends of Tibet Blog - FOT condemns Deportation Threat
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