New Delhi, December 9: The Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (NMCPCR), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) organised an interactive session with a three-member delegation of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-In-Exile on December 7, 2023 at 4.00 PM. The programme was attended by an enthusiastic audience that included the faculty members, scholars and students of the various departments of JMI. The session was chaired by Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Director, NMCPCR with the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. Eqbal Hussain as the Chief Guest.
Before the formal start of the programme, the Tibetan delegation felicitated the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohd. Muslim Khan, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and the Director, NMCPCR by presenting them with the Tibetan Khtata, the traditional white scarf.
The programme began with the welcome address by Prof. Mohd. Muslim Khan, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, JMI. He formally introduced the delegates of the Tibetan Parliament-In-Exile while praising their contributions toward the Tibetan fight for human rights and dignity. Following the formal introduction, Prof. Eqbal Hussain, Vice Chancellor of JMI spoke at length about the struggle of Tibetan people and the unique support given by the Government of India to the Tibetan community. The Vice Chancellor reiterated the inclusive character of Jamia that welcomes and embraces diversity in all forms and has been fully committed to the Government of India’s goal of promoting and securing the rightful place of Tibetan community and their inalienable rights. He promised that Jamia would continue supporting the Tibetan community.
The Acharya Yeshi Phontsok, the ex-speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-In-Exile who spoke about his two-decade long relationship with Delhi and his multiple fruitful visits to the Jamia campus. While emphasizing the need for greater awareness about the Tibetan struggle, he shared his hope about a better response from the international community about the future of millions of Tibetans living in exile. Ms. Namgyal Dolkar Lhagyari, the lone female member of the delegation, thanked JMI and the NMCPCR for being sympathetic towards the Tibetan cause. She spoke about the Chinese attempt to force false narratives about Tibetans and its expansionist goals in all its neighbouring countries including India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. She also highlighted the religious diversity in Tibet that is under relentless threat by Chinese government’s policies. Mr. Geshe Atong Rinchen spoke about his experiences under the Chinese occupation while thanking the Indian government for its support of the Tibetan community.
This was followed by an interactive session with the students and faculty members moderated by the Chair, Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi. The delegates responded to a series of questions raised by the participants. Prof. Rizvi summed up the arguments made by the delegates and reiterated the continuous support of Indian civil society and the Indian government towards the Tibetan community.
The session ended with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Syed Jaleel Hussain, Assistant Professor NMCPCR who thanked all the participants and the delegates for an enriching session.
