Photo From: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbrxs/Global/Himalayas.htm
Poornima Joshi The Hindustan Times
Dharamshala, September 22)
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has stirred the Kashmir controversy again. And this is the second time in a matter of months. If there were a slew of denials earlier, this time the pitch was high. Moreover, he didn't stop short of just rubbing India's Achilles heel, the Lama subtly criticised India's "over-cautious" approach to Tibet.
As if to underline that when he talks about freedom, it's not in the context of Tibet alone, the Dalai Lama told a group of journalists that India should have tackled the Kashmir problem through dialogue "much earlier". Replying to a question on Pakistan's activities in Kashmir, the Dalai Lama said, "If you first talk about autonomy and change the position later, it becomes a problem". He said though Kashmir has an elected government and living standards are better than in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the common Kashmiri is unhappy.
"Ideally, they should have been satisfied. But, it is clear that somewhere, emotionally, they are not. And that is a problem," he said. "I remember meeting Pandit Nehru in 1963. Sheikh Abdullah was also present with his son Farooq. Some serious discussion was on. Perhaps, reconciliation could have been sought," he said.
Clarification on Dalai statement
New Delhi, Tuesday, September 25, 2001 (Hindustan Times)
With reference to the report 'Dalai rakes up J&K again' (Sunday HT Sept 23), the Core Group for Tibetan Cause today said that it does not reflect what the Tibetan leader actually said.
Convenor of the Core Group N.K. Trikha said that the Dalai Lama did not address the question of Kashmir on his own. "He only responded to a question asked by one of the correspondents." There was no question of the Dalai Lama raking up the question of Kashmir, he added. Dr Trikha sent a transcript of what, according to him, the Tibetan leader said. He said the Dalai Lama reacted to a question by a journalist by saying that the Kashmir issue was very complicated. "On (the) Kashmir issue, I always had a strong feeling that the best thing is how to find some meaningful dialogue. Firstly, I think, between India and Pakistan and also with the local people. This is entirely my personal opinion. I have no right to interfere in these things," the transcript reads.
Dalai Lama supports India on Kashmir
New Delhi, September 27 (Tribune News Service)
Anguished at media reports which had "misquoted" Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama1s remarks on the Kashmir issue, senior Tibetan leaders have said that the reports were in total contrast to what the Dalai Lama had been saying on the subject for over 40 years.
Presidents of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Regional Tibetan Women1s Association and Tibetan Freedom Movement Association and the chairman of the Local Tibetan People1s Assembly, in a joint signed statement here, said that "deliberate or unintentional" bad reporting by some individual journalists would only strengthen the hands of the Chinese Government "which is desperate to keep Tibet under its colonial occupation."
The leaders said the Dalai Lama believes that any problem concerning Kashmir could be resolved through a peaceful and sincere dialogue within the framework of the Indian Constitution which already provided sufficient space for democratic expression to the people of Kashmir.
They said the Tibetan issue and the problem of Kashmir were totally different from each other and had nothing in common.
Legal proceedings against Hindustan Times by Tibet supporters
TIBET SUPPORTERS WILL START LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST HINDUSTAN TIMES FOR IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING AGAINST
H.H. DALAI LAMA
New Delhi- 28 September
The Core Group for Tibetan Cause, a think tank of Indian intellectuals, has decided to launch legal proceedings against the reporter, editor and publisher of Hindustan Times, New Delhi, for willfully publishing wrong and mischievous news item against His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Core Group has authorised its counsel Mr. Naresh Mathur to initiate criminal as well as civil proceedings for Rs. 10 crore (Rs. 100 million) against the Hindustan Times.
We are pained to point out that despite all promises by Mr. Arun Roy Chowdhury, the Resident Editor and also by Mr. Vir Sanghvi, the Chief Editor no meaningful steps have been taken to undo at least a part of the damage done by the original news report. This mistake by their reporter and desk editors may appear to be too small to the senior editors of a respected and popular newspaper like Hindustan Times, but the damage done by this news item to the image and political movement headed by HH the Dalai Lama is too big to be ignored by the Tibetans and their friends. We treat this news item as a part of an ongoing well-orchestrated campaign that is aimed at driving a wedge between HH the Dalai Lama and his Indian supporters.
This issue becomes still more serious in the light of fact that the Chinese government has publicly announced its intentions to isolate HH the Dalai Lama from his supporters all over the world in general and India in particular.
This news item titled ''Dalai Rakes up J&K Again'' was published on the front page of HIndustan Times in its 23rd September edition. Besides giving a wrong and highly biased headline to the news item the newspaper tried to paint HH the Dalai Lama as highly critical of Government of India. By quoting HH the Dalai Lama as saying that ''... the common Kashmiri is unhappy'', the reporter of Hindustan Times has put such words into his mouth which he never said during his meeting with the media persons.
(Vijay Kranti) Secretary e-mail: vijaykranti@vsnl.com Mr. Naresh Mathur (Lawyer, Supreme Court of India
TIBETANS CONDEMN ANTI-DALAI LAMA MEDIA CAMPAIGN
New Delhi- 27 Sep 2001
Tibetan community is deeply pained by and hence condemns recent attempts by a section of Indian press to create misunderstanding between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the people and Government of India on the issue of Kashmir.
We are hurt by the fact that in two recent attempts some ill-informed Indian journalists have either misquoted or have put such words in the mouth of HH the Dalai Lama which are in total contrast to what he has been consistently saying on this subject for over 40 years.
HH THE DALAI LAMA's VIEWS ON KASHMIR
His views on the subject of Kashmir have been always clear and specific as follows:
1. HH the Dalai Lama sincerely believes and has always publicly expressed that Kashmir is an integral part of India;
2. HH is highly appreciative of the fact that the people of Indian part of Kashmir have been consistently electing their state governments through a well established democratic process;
3. He believes that any problem concerning Kashmir can be resolved through a peaceful and sincere dialogue within the framework of Indian constitution which already provides sufficient space for democratic expression to the people of Kashmir; and that
4. He sincerely believes that the Tibetan issue and the problem of Kashmir are totally different from each other and they have nothing common between them.
DALAI LAMA -- PROMOTING INDIA'S INTERESTS ABROAD
It needs to be underlined here that HH the Dalai Lama has been using all available world forums to present the case of India. Especially in the wake of his ever increasing popularity following the Nobel Peace Prize, HH the Dalai Lama has been quite outspoken in defending India's right to be a nuclear power and her right to be a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations.
His kind tributes to the generosity of the people and the Government of India towards himself and his fellow Tibetan refugees is has generated a deep appreciation and respect for India among millions of Tibet supporters and other opinion makers all over the world.
CHINA'S MISCHIEF
Chinese government is desperate in keeping Tibet under its colonial occupation. It is therefore very unfortunate that deliberate or unintentional bad reporting by some individual journalists is going to strengthen the hands of none other than the Chinese government. It takes serious shape when seen in light of the fact that the Chinese government has publicly announced its intentions to isolate HH the Dalai Lama from his supporters all over the world in general and India in particular.
WE RESPECT MEDIA BUT .
We hold the India media community in high esteem and are aware of the fact that sometimes individuals can commit mistakes under work pressure. But we, the members of Tibetan Diaspora and our Indian friends would like to make it clear that any deliberate attempts to tarnish the image of our leaders and community will not be tolerated. We will take all possible legal, political and other democratic steps to fight back such attempts.
We hereby appeal to the friends and supporters of Tibet to be more vigilant and not to be carried away by mischievous, irresponsible and sensational news reports even if these reports are published by respected newspapers.
ISSUE BY : REGIONAL TIBETAN YOUTH CONGRESS
REGIONAL TIBETAN WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION
TIBETAN FREEDOM MOVEMENT WELFARE OFFICER,
TIBETAN COMMUNITY IN MAJNU KA TILA, DELHI
Jamyang Dorjee Special Officer, Tibet-India Relations Desk, New Delhi.