Tibetan Parlimentary & Policy Research Centre

New Delhi, 25 February 2011: A meeting of the members of All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet (APIPFT) was convened at the Constitution Club. The meeting was presided over by the convener, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, BJP MP and former union minister of the Govt. of India. Sitting MPs from five different political parties along with Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, Mr. Tenpa Tsering, and members of Tibetan parliament, Mr. Choekyong Wangchuk and Ven. Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok who were organisers as well attended the meeting.

The meeting was mainly focussed on the strengthening of APIPFT and consensus were reached to carry out activities such as to raise membership, organise programmes; to explore His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s address to the Indian parliamentarians; to represent the forum in the national as well as international conferences; and to have more interaction with the members of the International Network of Parliamentarians for Tibet (INPaT) and the Tibetan Parliamentarians.

New Delhi, 22 January, 2011: TPPRC in partnership with Tibetan Parliament in Exile organised one and half day strategy-planning workshop for the future course of action of TPPRC for the period 2011 – 2014 on 20 and 21 January 2011 at Hotel Clarion Collection in New Delhi. The workshop was commenced with an opening remark by the speaker of Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) cum chairman of TPPRC Governing Council Mr. Penpa Tsering. He welcomed all the distinguished participants and briefly spoke about the purpose and objective of the workshop.

The Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre based in New Delhi, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) successfully concluded a 8 day long 6^th An objective and practical program for school students titled: Introducing the Tibetan Democracy in Exile and Situation of Tibet at Staff Mess, Gangkyi in Dharamsala from December 24 to 31, 2009. The workshop was attended by 90 students and 14 teachers from 19 different schools and institution.

The main objective of this workshop was to introduce students about the Tibetan democracy in exile and situation of Tibet. To make the students understand thoroughly the structure and functions of Tibetan exile government based in Dharamsala. It also aimed at helping the Tibetan students to have a better knowledge about the achievements, failure and the future prospects of the three pillar of democracy in the exile Tibetan governance and making them more responsible Tibetans. To make the students understand about the current political situation and present human rights situation inside Tibet. To impart the importance of maintaining the religious and moral ethos to preserve the Tibetan identity.

13 November, 2009: Tibetan Parliamentary & Policy Research Centre, South Asian Network on Dams, River & People and Water Watch Alliance jointly organised a seminar on "Himalayan Glaciers and Mekong Basin" at India International Centre Annexe, New Delhi. The programme was mainly to focus on Himalayan Glaciers and also in the contest of Himalayan Water shed, specially the Mekong River basin.

The programme was bisected into two sessions. The first session was started by Gopal Krishna (Convenor, Water Watch Alliance) by giving a brief information on the subject. Later eminent speaker who are prominent researcher on Himalayan Glaciers Prof. A.L.Ramnathan (School of Environmental Science, JNU) addressed the audience about the impact of climate change on the health of Himalayan Glaciers and then Prof. Milap Chand Sharma (JNU) point out some of his investigation report on the question of Himalayan Glaciers melting. According to him altitude of Himalaya doesn't permit Himalayan Glaciers to melt, the way it has been projected. May be the Glaciers in Europe at 4000m may melt totally but not at Himalaya because a Glaciers start after 4000m and there mountains are at 4000m.

30 October 2009, on the eve of the 124^th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel India first Home Minister, Tibetan Parliamentary & Policy Research Centre and M.L.Sondhi Institute for Asia Pacific Affairs jointly organised a seminar on "The current status of India-China relations" at India International Centre Annexe, New Delhi. The programme was mainly to understand the current status of India-China relations.

Presenters and subject experts such as Prof. Shrikanth Kondapalli (Professor in Chinese Studies at JNU), Prof. P.Stobdan (Senior Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses), Dr.Yeshi Choedon (Associate Professor in International Organization at JNU). The program was chaired by Former Foreign Secretary Mr.Kanwal Sibal.

In the introductory remarks by Prof. Madhuri Sondhi (Director of M. L. Sondhi Institute for Asia Pacific Affairs), she briefly comments on the context of India-China relation and reminded the audience of Sardar Vallabhhai Patel famous letter to Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru. She then shared her late husband M. L. Sondhi's deep interest in the Asia Pacific region, since the 60s, much before the region's name was coined. She further dwelled on his understanding about Asia as an area of significant during the cold war and quoted the speech he gave in 1989, "India has to become strong so that rest of Asia can be strong, we cannot be afraid of China but we cannot also frighten China, we have to take a stand and it has to be a principle one". She again quoted him as saying "we must have normalization with China but it cannot be achieved by appeasement but by negotiation in which India does not surrender her claim".

Tibet Study Group and TPPRC jointly organised a roundtable discussion on Greater Tibet at India International Centre Annexe, Delhi on 27^th August 2009. The main objective of the programme was to clear the confusion surrounding the concept of Greater Tibet arisen due PRC's propagation and to make the TGiE's stand known on this subject.

Many eminent speakers such as prof. Samdhong Rinpoche (Kalon Tripa), Prof. Bharat Kanard (CPR), Prof. Jampa Samten (CUTS, Sarnath), Prof. Madhuri Sondhi (Director, ML Sondhi Institute for Asia Pacific Affairs), Col. V.S.Verma (Director, Tibet Study Group) gave a presentation. The program was chaired by Dr.Kapila Vatsyayan (Chairman IIC Asia Project)

The program was started by Mr. Shoban Saxena by giving brief information on the subject and the keynote address was made by Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche. In his speech he stated that the basic aspiration of all the Tibetan people in today's PRC to have a uniform policy that will enable them to preserve and promote their distinct identity is a right granted by the PRC constitution and relevant statutes. Keeping in view of above-mentioned facts, to make one autonomous administration for all Tibetan autonomous areas is appropriately desirable and easily achievable. For this to happen there is neither any need to make amendments to the Constitution nor any change in policy or political system is needed. It only requires a political will of the leadership. Click Here for complete statement by Prof.Samdhong Rinpoche