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The Central Tibetan Administration's (CTA) Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) successfully conducted a series of Tibet Outreach Programmes in Bengaluru, as part of its South India campaign to raise awareness on Tibetan history, culture, and the ongoing Tibet-China conflict.
According to information provided by CTA, a session was held at Bengaluru University under the Department of History's Special Lecture Programme. In the event, Tenzin Lekshay, DIIR Additional Secretary and Spokesperson, spoke on "India-Tibet-China Relations: From Ancient History to the Contemporary World," emphasising India's historic civilizational ties with Tibet, the strategic importance of the Tibetan Plateau, and the consequences of China's occupation of Tibet in 1950-51. He highlighted that China's aggressive policies dismantled the traditional India-Tibet border, intensifying India-China tensions, and that agreements such as the Panchsheel Treaty often ignored Tibet's sovereignty. Lekshay underscored the Middle Way Policy, advocating for peaceful dialogue as the only viable approach to resolving the Tibet-China conflict, drawing parallels with India's own non-violent freedom struggle and urging Indian students to engage with Tibet's history for both moral and strategic reasons. Dhondup Wangmo, Research Fellow at the Tibet Policy Institute, CTA, gave a presentation on "The Tibetan Plateau: Its Significance and Environmental Challenges." She highlighted Tibet's ecological importance for Asia, noting that China's large-scale mining, dam construction, and infrastructure projects since 1959 have caused severe environmental degradation, disrupted river ecosystems, and displaced Tibetan communities. Wangmo pointed out that these unsustainable practices contribute to floods, landslides, and biodiversity loss, framing them as consequences of Chinese occupation and exploitation. She also drew attention to the persecution of Tibetan environmental activists under Chinese rule. As reported by the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibet Outreach Programme is continuing across Bengaluru, including sessions at St. Joseph's University, and forms part of a broader South India initiative featuring workshops on the Middle Way Policy and Advocacy Training. CTA reported that the programme aims to promote informed academic dialogue, raise awareness on Tibet's historical and strategic significance, and critically examine the consequences of China's occupation of Tibet on regional security, ecology, and human rights. (ANI)
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