World News | Tibetans Celebrate India's 80th Independence Day in Dharamshala; Sikyong Draws Parallels with Tibet's Struggle for Freedom

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 15 (ANI): The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile, marked India's 80th Independence Day at its headquarters in Dharamshala on Saturday, with CTA President Sikyong Penpa Tsering hoisting the Indian national flag.

Ministers of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, members of parliament, CTA officials and staff, and members of the Tibetan community attended the celebrations in the north Indian hill town.

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Speaking to the media, Tsering congratulated the people of India on the occasion and paid tribute to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence.

"Every Indian should cherish this moment because we know what it means to live without freedom," Tsering said, drawing a parallel with the situation of Tibetans living under Chinese rule.

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He said India's freedom and independence continue to serve as an inspiration for Tibetans, who remain deprived of basic freedoms in Tibet.

Tsering said the Independence Day celebration has also become an occasion for Tibetans in exile to join Indians in commemorating the country's independence and expressing solidarity with the Indian people.

The Sikyong also raised concerns over China's policies towards Tibet and other ethnic minority regions, saying Beijing's current approach leaves little scope for meaningful dialogue or understanding.

"Right now, if you look at all the policies and programmes of the Chinese government, it doesn't look like there is any space for dialogue or any space for understanding," he said.

Tsering particularly criticised China's Ethnic Unity Law, describing it as a new legal framework for policies that have been pursued by Beijing for years to weaken the distinct identities of Tibetans, Mongolians and Uyghurs.

He said that while the Chinese government portrays the legislation as a measure aimed at promoting unity among ethnic groups, its provisions need to be examined closely.

"If you look at the details of the law that they adopted on March 12 and have been implementing since July 1, then everything is a mask--a legal mask--that they have put on all the programmes that they have been doing over the years," Tsering said.

He alleged that the policies are aimed at eroding the distinct national identities of ethnic communities and eventually subsuming them into the dominant Han Chinese identity.

The celebrations in Dharamshala came as Tibetans in exile joined Indians across the country and around the world in marking India's 80th Independence Day.

For the Tibetan exile administration, the annual flag-hoisting ceremony carries significance beyond the commemoration of India's freedom struggle, reflecting its close association with India and the Tibetan community's continuing aspirations for freedom, cultural identity and dialogue.

Earlier, Tenzin Lekshay, Spokesperson of the Central Tibetan Administration, extended greetings to India on the occasion.

"The Central Tibetan Administration extends its sincere greetings to the people of India on the 80th Indian Independence Day. As we celebrate this historic milestone, we wish the nation continued unity. prosperity and progress," said in a statement on X.

The CTA's Independence Day observance in Dharamshala highlighted the longstanding association between the Tibetan community in exile and India, with the Tibetan leadership paying tribute to India's freedom struggle while raising concerns over developments in Tibet. (ANI)

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