“It has been almost 50 years and yet not many know of the plight of the Tibetans and the violence they face each day at the hands of China. Having seen our relatives and friends facing the wrath, we decided enough is enough and people across the world should be aware of our condition,” said Tsedor.

The group will be touring several Indian cities in the coming months. “31st March marks 50 years of oppression. After Mumbai, we will be going to 50 Indian places to sensitise people about Tibetan oppression. We also hope to catch the attention of United Nations and other international bodies,” said Tsedor.

When quizzed on why the group chose India as a destination for these protests, Tsedor said, “China is a police country and they will never understand the meaning of democracy. We chose India because India too was once oppressed and reduced to a colony. Tibet today is facing the same situation. We hope to get the support of India as this country too shares a similar history.”

Human rights issues and the need to have complete freedom are two things that the group wants to highlight. “Around 60 lakh people are brutally killed every month. People are arrested arbitrarily. Women are a vulnerable group. They cannot go out of their homes without fearing for their lives. Our leaders have become political prisoners. We want such human rights violations to stop immediately in Tibet. We also want Sino-Tibet dialogue to proceed in a sincere manner,” added Tsedor.

According to Tsedor, Tibet’s economy too has suffered a lot because of Chinese oppression. “After the Beijing Olympics, we thought our economy would see an upward trend. But it is still in doldrums. We get maximum revenue from tourism because of the violence, tourism has been badly hit. Everything has been affected-our culture, our religion and our customs ,” said Tsedor.

Our youngest spiritual leader, Panchen Lama Gendhum was arrested when he was barely six. Even his holiness Dalai Lama and his intentions have been questioned. These are other issues we want to revive immediately,” said Tsedor.