NEW DELHI, May 1: Thupten Ngodup has not died in vain. The 60-year-old monk-turned-revolutionary's self-immolation hours before the Chinese Army chief reached the country on his first ever official visit has cast the spotlight on the Tibetan issue once again. Tributes for Ngodup's `sacrifice' poured in from various parts of the country. The RJD has expressed its solidarity with the Tibetan cause. And the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society (ITFS) is organising a prayer meeting on May 5 at the Raj Ghat in his memory.Former Lok Sabha speaker Rabi Ray, who is also the president of ITFS, on Thursday, appealed to the Indian government and governments all around the world to initiate an unconditional dialogue between the Dalai Lama and China. Ray also requested Tibetan freedom fighters to maintain their commitment to the path of ``truth and non-violence in this hour of trial''.
Some ITFS activists sat on a one-day token hunger strike alongside those from the All India Women's Forum for Free Tibet (Madhya Pradesh)in a tent, pitched close to where the second batch of five Tibetans are on a fast unto death agitation.
In the Majnu Ka Tilla area -- the largest Tibetan settlement in Delhi -- some Tibetan women sat on a 48-hour relay hunger strike, while others who have come from Dharamsala are on a five-day relay strike at Rajghat.
In Jantar Mantar, several Tibetans sat in front of Ngodup's framed photograph with 108 burning lamps in front. The lamps will burn for 47 days, in accordance with Tibetan ritual.
Meanwhile, Thupten Ngodup's body was brought to Dharamsala from Delhi on Thursday for his cremation with full honours of the Tibetan government-in-exile in the presence of all Tibetan organisations.
The president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, Tseten Norbu called on the Tibetans to prepare to pay the price for freedom.
Addressing thousands of Tibetans, who had gathered at the Dalai Lama's temple to pay homage to the martyr, Norbu said it was time the Tibetans followed the path shown by Ngodup. He said thefour-decade long fight for Tibetan independence had not been successful for lack of commitment on the part Tibetans as well as other nations supporting their cause, including the United Nations and India.
Norbu said many of the Tibetans had already realised that the UN could only express concern and would not do anything substantial for Tibet owing to various pressures. Norbu said the TYC appreciated the role of the Dalai Lama in not having stopped the TYC activists from going on a fast-unto-death this time. Earlier, a large number of Tibetans lined up in Kangra, Dharamsala and Mcleod Gang to pay tributes to Ngodup, as his body was being brought to his home town, McLeod Ganj.
Meanwhile, the Tibetan Kashayt (cabinet) has urged the world community to urge China to come to the negotiating table, lest more lives are lost in desperation.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
