Tibetan torch rally leaves Jodhpur for Jaipur

JODHPUR: Of the seven torch rallies travelling across the globe to muster support of the world community for Tibet, one arrived in Jodhpur on Thursday. It left for Jaipur on Saturday.

Having started its journey from Kochi on July 6 this year, the torch christened 'Flame of Truth' will meet two other similar torches travelling in India in New Delhi on December 10 to coincide with the World Human Rights Day.

Karma Yeshi, an MP of the Tibetan parliament in exile, who is travelling with a team along with the torch, said they will submit a petition to the United Nations Secretary General Ban ki Moon after it was signed by at least three lakh people from all walks of life from across the globe as a gesture of endorsement for their demands from the UN.

"This petition with the signatures will finally be submitted to Moon, UN Human Rights Council and UN Information Office, New Delhi," Yeshi said.

He said their demand from the UNO is to discuss the issue of Tibet in light of the resolutions passed in 1959, 1961 and 1965, to send an independent fact-finding international delegation to Tibet to investigate the ongoing crisis there and to ensure that the basic rights and aspirations of the Tibetans are protected.

Three torch rallies started in India on July 6, the birth day of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama one each from Leh, Shillong and Kochi and since then, the torches have travelled through 100 towns of 24 states. The women's wing of Bharat-Tibet Maitri Sangh and the Tibetan Woolen Market Association received the torch on its arrival in Jodhpur. The event was also supported by former chief of army General V K Singh.

A month ago, Sherab Tsedor, who had set himself ablaze in November 2011 in New Delhi in front of the Chinese Embassy, had arrived in Jodhpur on an All India Tibet Awareness and Support Campaign as apart of his mission, "Messenger on Snowland", to get Tibet liberated from China's "intervention and atrocities".

Tsedor, who started his mission on 53rd Tibetan National Uprising day on March 10, 2012 from Dharamsala, said it is aimed at building a consensus and pressure on the world community to strongly urge China to respect the fundamental rights of the Tibetans who wanted to freely practice their religion and bring to an end the "so called Patriotic Re-Education Campaign", allow international independent fact-finding delegations and media to visit the affected areas and refrain from using repressive measures against the peaceful protesters and stop harassing the families of those Tibetan youths, who sacrificed their lives for Tibet.


Source- Times of India