I strongly support Dalai lama and the tibetan people for their freedom struggle.
--- On Mon, 17/11/08, ranju radha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: ranju radha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [GreenYouth] Re: An Open Letter to the Dalai Lama > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, 17 November, 2008, 2:37 PM > history is always read for the present. > > and dont essentialise and exclude "buddhism" from > the wordly affairs. Dalai > lama belongs to one sect of buddhism only. The politics of > Buddhism does > take care of capitalism/communism/socialism. It s not just > a 'religion'. If > u take out the political essencse from it, buddhism wud > die. so dont > romantise it. > > and going back is a reactionary ideal. It should be discard > for the sake of > democratic ideals. so, tibetians will decide their fate, > not China, me or > any one else (though in many cases the outside world > decides the fate). > > it is nations (in the Western sense) demand nationalism, > not people. > and in our context(India), it s the nationalism that > imagines a nation. > > i m least bothered abt an international state. even if that > happens there > will emerge nationalisms.. (i m ill equipped to theorise it > now) > but one thing is, the meta narrative f nation and > nationalism is a hegemonic > universalisign project and many a communities trapped > within that > imagination always revolt. > these aspirations are attempts to create new universalities > and redefine > power relations (obviously creating its own in the > process).. such dynamism > gives life to the process of nation-making. sociatial > relations get redefned > in the process, thereby evloving better outcomes, > hopefully. > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 10:02 AM, sreenivas v.p > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > > > > > > History has to be read in the light of the present > .Otherwise it has no > > meaning . > > > > If you are reading history as a collection of > independent facts , it will > > not be any useful to us . It does not make any > meaning that Tibet was part > > of china hundreds of years back so it has to be > returned to them now . > > Buddists are a group of peace loving people who lead a > simple life . Let us > > not feed communism or capitalism into them . in this > light , we need to > > regard tibet as an independent territory . same is the > case with kashmir as > > well . > > > > being patriotic is a stupid idea but here the fight is > between nations not > > between people . > > china means beijing and not chinese people . > > > > are u talking about an international state ?, till > such a state comes into > > place , there will be nationalism and we will have to > support that to a > > certain extent . > > > > regards > > Sreenivas > > bangalore > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- On *Mon, 17/11/08, ranju radha > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* wrote: > > > > From: ranju radha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: [GreenYouth] Re: An Open Letter to the Dalai > Lama > > To: [email protected] > > Date: Monday, 17 November, 2008, 8:54 AM > > > > civilians all over the world belive or are made to > belive that we live > > here peacefully because there is military at the > boarder. chinese people may > > be feeling the same way. > > > > but given the context of hindu colonisation taking a > violent turn and > > moving into the genocidal terror mode, one can't > always belive such myths. > > > > Are we not living peacefully bz the newspaper-walla > puts the newspaper at > > our door steps on time and therby, initiating us to > the world around us, > > make us belive in peace and lead us to demand a > peaceful world ? Yes we are. > > It is not only the jawans in kargil but also the > newspaper boys in the > > streets, t make us 'belive' that we live in > peace. > > but are we not paying a price for that? Living > peacefully in a country of > > violence demands alot more slavish/blind belief. > Belief that make us believe > > that we cant live without belief. We end up victims of > that belief. but > > sometimes, or most of the time we tend to believe in > it. nationalisms are > > created out of such beliefs. patriotism is the symptm. > > boundaries are fuzzy; history can delete it with just > a stroke > > We as a trapped rat in the boundaries of nation > clamour for more strong > > boundaries > > but boundary again is a myth created and re-created in > our minds. the > > beliefs make us create such strong boundaries in our > mind. can we break it? > > let us try once. > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 1:04 AM, bobinson > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >> >Your Holiness, even during the period when > China was yet to become an > >> economic powerhouse, you could not persuade > Buddhist majority countries like > >> Thailand or Sri Lanka to boycott China. > >> > >> > >> During my recent visit to north east states I > happen to talk to lot of > >> Indian Buddhists. Not a huge number, hence they > may not represent the > >> Buddhist community but still I was surprised to > find that none of them > >> supported Dalai lama. > >> > >> Another experience is witnessing the chineese > demonstration in ottawa, > >> Canada immediately after Dalai Lama's visit to > Ottawa. ( > >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/freemind/2412774172/) > I was told by the > >> chineese crowd that during a recent tibetan > demonstration chineese embassy > >> was attacked and flags were burned. I was told the > similar facts about the > >> visit and violence caused by the same by a > Canadian photographer also. > >> > >> > >> I am not making conclusions. Simply mentioning few > facts. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 10:48 PM, sreenivas v.p > < > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >>> > >>> i support Dalai lama and the tibetan people > for their freedom > >>> struggle. expanding territory is one of the > agenda of chinese communist > >>> party and they are following it religiously > which resulted attacking > >>> nieghboring countries including russia and > india. > >>> > >>> some communists were laughing saying that > indian soldiers ran away > >>> fearing chinese bomb tack during 1962 war . > these people should not forget > >>> that we live here peacefully for the fact that > our soldiers are struggling > >>> for life in the border. > >>> > >>> > >>> sreenivas > >>> bangalore > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> --- On *Sun, 16/11/08, Bobby Kunhu > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* wrote: > >>> > >>> From: Bobby Kunhu > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> Subject: [GreenYouth] An Open Letter to the > Dalai Lama > >>> To: > "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" < > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Greenyouth" < > >>> [email protected]>, > "canopeners" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> Date: Sunday, 16 November, 2008, 7:25 AM > >>> > >>> > http://winnowed.blogspot.com/2008/11/open-letter-to-dalai-lama.html > Saturday, > >>> 15 November 2008 An Open Letter to the Dalai > Lama<http://winnowed.blogspot.com/2008/11/open-letter-to-dalai-lama.html> > >>> Your Holiness, > >>> > >>> I hope this letter finds you in good health. > You must be very busy right > >>> now, Your Holiness, preparing to attend the > six day meet you have convened > >>> for members of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile > in Dharamshala from 17 > >>> November 2008 to discuss the future course of > action for Tibet. I assume you > >>> are not in the best of spirits, Your Holiness. > You underwent a surgery for > >>> removal of a gall bladder stone last month. > You have publicly > stated<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7693052.stm>that > you have lost hope of reaching a settlement with China > through > >>> dialogue. Ever since March 1959 when you left > Tibet and went to India, you > >>> have been trying to obtain a better deal for > Tibet and its people. You have > >>> not only always stuck to the path of > non-violence, but you have also > >>> insisted that your followers do the same. All > of this is admirable until one > >>> realises that, as you recently admitted, you > have not managed to wring a > >>> single compromise out of China. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, are you worried that history > will judge you harshly for > >>> not having achieved anything much for the > people of Tibet, despite > >>> struggling for almost 50 years? I don't > have an answer to that, Your > >>> Holiness. Before we respond to that question, > why don't we take a quick look > >>> at Tibet's history? > >>> > >>> The Tibetan language belongs to the > Tibeto-Burman branch of the > >>> Sino-Tibetan language family. Tibetan is as > much distinct from Mandarin as > >>> Burmese is. Tibet has always been an > independent country. In the early 9th > >>> century, Buddhism reached Tibet after a > Tibetan king invited Buddhist > >>> preachers and artisans from India. There have > been occasions when Tibetan > >>> kings have defeated Chinese rulers in battle. > From the 13th century onwards, > >>> Tibet was under the control of the Mongols who > also controlled vast > >>> stretches of China. It was when the Mongols > controlled Tibet that Buddhism > >>> spread to Mongolia. In the seventeenth > century, the fifth Dalai Lama became > >>> the spiritual and temporal head of the whole > of Tibet. Tibet has had wars > >>> with the kingdoms of Ladakh, Bhutan and Nepal, > losing many battles and > >>> winning a few. > >>> > >>> Since the early eighteen century, the Manchu > rulers of China have made > >>> claims on Tibet. However, China went into a > period of decline after that and > >>> Tibet managed to assert its independence. In > the early 20th century, the > >>> British led a few expeditions into Tibet in > order to prevent any Russian > >>> influence in the region. The British forced > the Tibetans to sign a trade > >>> treaty which opened Tibet's borders to > British India. In 1907, Britain also > >>> entered into a treaty with Russia which > recognised Chinese suzerainty over > >>> Tibet. > >>> > >>> After China was defeated by Japan in a series > of battles in the early > >>> twentieth century, Chinese control over Tibet > waned. Britain, Tibet and > >>> China held negotiations in Simla in 1913 and > 1914 to resolve the boundaries > >>> between India, China and Tibet. The > negotiations broke down and Henry > >>> McMahon, the then British Indian foreign > secretary and the chief British > >>> negotiator, unilaterally demarcated the > Indo-Tibetan border. Approximately > >>> 9,000 square kilometres of traditional Tibetan > territory in southern Tibet > >>> (the Tawang region) was given to India (which > now forms the Indian state of > >>> Arunachal Pradesh). McMahon also recognised > Chinese suzerainty over Tibet > >>> and affirmed that Tibet was a part of China. > China did not agree to this > >>> Simla convention and hence, this treaty became > a bilateral agreement between > >>> India and Tibet. > >>> > >>> Immediately after the communist takeover of > China, the communists took > >>> over parts of eastern Tibet and initiated a > process of land reforms. > >>> Landlords were publicly humiliated and at > times executed. However, the > >>> traditional Tibetan aristocracy was allowed to > remain in place till public > >>> unrest in eastern Tibet led to a military > crackdown, which in turn led to > >>> the Lhasa uprising. It was at that time, Your > Holiness, that you fled to > >>> India. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, at the time of the communist > takeover of Tibet, Tibet was > >>> a corrupt and undemocratic theocracy. Monks > held all the powers and abused > >>> them. The peasants were oppressed and lived in > extreme poverty. One of the > >>> reasons the Chinese were able to takeover > Tibet so easily was because it was > >>> a backward, feudal and theocratic state. The > blame for this should lie > >>> primarily on the Buddhist clergy which kept > Tibet in the dark ages. Your > >>> Holiness and your predecessors were always at > the helm of such a state of > >>> affairs. > >>> > >>> After Your Holiness came over to India, you > set up a Government-in-Exile > >>> consisting of a legislative assembly (the > Assembly of Tibetan People's > >>> Deputies), an executive (the Kashag), and a > judiciary (the Tibetan Supreme > >>> Justice Commission). You have categorised the > Government-in-Exile as a > >>> constitutional monarchy. Elections were held > and exiled Tibetans voted. You > >>> have gone into semi-retirement and if rumours > are correct, you would like to > >>> retire permanently. Considering the fact that > prior to the Chinese take-over > >>> Tibet was a full-fledged theocracy, I feel > that you have done an admirable > >>> job in injecting a decent dose of democracy > into the Tibetan community. > >>> Since almost all Tibetans are Buddhists, not > many Tibetans have objected to > >>> having you, the Dalai Lama, a living > incarnation of the Lord Buddha, as the > >>> head of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. This > would mean there is a shade of > >>> theocracy in the Government-in-Exile, but I > feel this was inevitable. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, your emphasis on non-violence > and peaceful negotiations > >>> won you not only many admirers all over the > world, but also the Nobel Peace > >>> Prize in 1989. Until you threw in the towel > last week, you have always > >>> stated that you would be happy with greater > autonomy under Chinese authority > >>> (on par with what Hong Kong has) and would not > press for independence. > >>> However, it cannot be said Your Holiness, that > all Tibetans have been happy > >>> with your approach. Organisations such as the > Tibetan Independence Movement, > >>> the Students For a Free Tibet led by exiled > Tibetans and supported by > >>> celebrities like Richard Gere have insisted > that Tibet should be > >>> independent. They have rightly said that China > has been diluting Tibetan > >>> culture by flooding Tibet with Han Chinese. > Tibet's natural wealth, > >>> especially its forest wealth, has been > eviscerated. Most importantly, they > >>> say that Tibet has historically been an > independent state. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, it must not be forgotten that > Chinese rule has brought > >>> some benefits for Tibet. There are a lot more > roads and railways and > >>> industries, though it can be argued that all > these developments further > >>> Chinese exploitation of Tibet and facilitate > Han Chinese expansion into > >>> Tibet. We all know that sadly, in Tibet, the > Han Chinese outnumber the > >>> Tibetans. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, even though you have won > international acclaim and > >>> admiration, you have not been able to persuade > a single country to take > >>> concrete measures for Tibet's > independence. Measures such as imposing > >>> sanctions against China and not trading with > China. Please don't laugh at > >>> me, Your Holiness. I do realise that the mere > thought of not trading with > >>> China sounds silly. Who can afford to not > trade with China? It is not only > >>> nation states who can't afford to > antagonise China. A few months ago, the > >>> London Metropolitan University awarded Your > Holiness a doctorate in > >>> recognition of your outstanding achievements > in promoting global peace. The > >>> threat of a boycott by Chinese students forced > this British university to express > >>> regret for any offence > >>> > <http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jul/09/highereducation.uk>caused > >>> to the Chinese government. > >>> > >>> Were things always like this Your Holiness? > No, Your Holiness. It is only > >>> in the last ten years that China became so > powerful. Twenty five years ago, > >>> China was an unknown country, tolerated > because it was a counterweight to > >>> the Soviet Union. Your Holiness, for a couple > of decade after you went over > >>> to India, there were many armed groups of > Tibetans carrying out guerrilla > >>> operations against China. These were not on a > very large scale and were > >>> funded by the CIA. However, they slowly died > down due to various reasons. > >>> One of the reasons was that India slowly > distanced itself from the USA and > >>> became friendly with the USSR, which meant > that the CIA could no longer use > >>> India as a base for attacks on China. Your > Holiness, I wonder if your > >>> insistence on non-violence as the only option > has been mainly because you've > >>> known that neither the USA nor India would > provide the quantum of commitment > >>> and support that would make it feasible for > Tibetans to fight China. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, even during the period when > China was yet to become an > >>> economic powerhouse, you could not persuade > Buddhist majority countries like > >>> Thailand or Sri Lanka to boycott China. Even > though Buddhists believe that > >>> you are a living incarnation of Lord Buddha, > you have not been able to build > >>> up any following within the Buddhists among > the Han Chinese. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, would things have been > different if you have played a less > >>> key role right from the time you went over to > India? I doubt it Your > >>> Holiness. Your personality and charisma gave > the Tibetan cause the sort of > >>> publicity and respectability that no secular > leader could have obtained. It > >>> is tempting to speculate on what could have > been achieved if a secular > >>> person who believed in using all options had > headed the Tibetan > >>> Government-in-Exile right from day one. At a > time when China was fighting > >>> the USSR, could such a person have obtained > independence for Tibet through > >>> armed action? I doubt it, Your Holiness, but > we will never know. > >>> > >>> Your Holiness, I believe that the head of the > Tibetan Government-in-Exile > >>> must not be the Dalai Lama. It must be headed > by a secular individual. If > >>> you are to head this Government-in-Exile, it > becomes a theocracy and there > >>> is no place in the modern world for a > theocracy. However, the Tibetan > >>> movement still needs your help. You must not > retire completely, though you > >>> have expressed your wish to do so. You must > work with the Tibetan > >>> Government-in-Exile in order to keep the > Tibetan cause in the limelight. > >>> History has been unkind to Tibet and its > people. You have, in my opinion, > >>> performed a stellar role in fighting for their > rights. I don't think history > >>> will judge you harshly. > >>> > >>> Where do we go from here, Your Holiness? I > don't believe that there is a > >>> magic solution to the Tibetan issue. I wonder > what advice you will give your > >>> fellow delegates at the forthcoming > conference. > >>> > >>> There will be some hotheads who will want > armed action against China. > >>> Around eight months ago, in March 2008 there > were orchestrated riots in > >>> Tibet. Nothing much was achieved, but it did > scare the Chinese government a > >>> lot, since it was so close to the Olympics. > Next time your followers try > >>> something like that, the Chinese government > might not be as restrained, > >>> since the Olympics are now over and the > Chinese couldn't give two hoots > >>> about public opinion. > >>> > >>> I assume muscular lobbying is an option. The > Tibetan cause has supporters > >>> and well-wishers all over the world. Your > Holiness, things can change very > >>> quickly. If the current economic recession > were to continue, China will not > >>> be able to provide employment for many of its > restless millions. If economic > >>> unrest were to spread in China, which now has > a vast rich-poor divide, the > >>> Tibetan Government-in-Exile might be able to > bargain a certain degree of > >>> autonomy for itself. There might even be a > fortuitous turn of events which > >>> enables Tibetans to get their country back. > >>> > >>> I wish Your Holiness and the people of Tibet > all the best for the future. > >>> > >>> > >>> With warm and sincere regards > >>> > >>> Winnowed, A blogger from the World Wide Web > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Bobby Kunhu > http://community.eldis.org/myshkin/Blog/ > >>> > >>> ------------------------------ > >>> Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! > Invite them now. > >>> > >>> > <http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_messenger_6/*http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> http://freebird.in > >> > >> > >> ------------------------------ > >> Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! > Invite them now. > >> >> > >> > >> > <http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_messenger_6/*http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/> > >> > > > > Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! 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