We Exist Because India Exists: Tibet's Government-In-Exile President Penpa Tsering

Lucknow: Penpa Tsering, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) — Tibet's Dharamshala-based government-in-exile — arrived in Lucknow on Sunday on a four-day visit, his first to the capital of Uttar Pradesh. In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, he expressed his views on India-Tibet relations and the ongoing dispute between China and Tibet, saying, "If the Indian government exists, we exist."

Excerpts from the interview:

ETV Bharat: Is this your first visit to Lucknow?

Penpa Tsering: Yes, this is my first time in Lucknow, although I have been to the state before. I had heard a lot about Lucknow. After coming here, I realised it is very clean and has seen a lot of development.

ETV: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi always says that we want Buddha, not war. But given the unrest in the world and the wars happening everywhere, what do you think?

PP: This is absolutely correct. We don't want war; we want the Buddha, that's why we believe in him. India's thinking is based on the principles of non-violence and compassion. We have practiced Buddhism since the eighth century. It's been 1,300-1,400 years now. The Chinese government thinks from a single perspective. It should understand that development can't solve every problem, because it is multi-dimensional. The Chinese government can't think beyond development, especially about how it impacts people's freedom, religion, language, and cultural environment.

ETV: India has always maintained friendly relations with Tibet, while China — which has a different relationship with Tibet — glares at us. Your comments?

PT: India and Tibet have ancient ties. Tibet's literary script came from India in the seventh century. Buddhism arrived in the eighth century. Buddhism first reached China in the fourth century. These days, China claims that the Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Cambodia originated in China. That's not true. It originated in India. We follow Nalanda. Between the 8th and the 13th centuries, we translated all Buddhist texts from Sanskrit and Pali. Today, if you want to learn Buddhism, you will only find Tibetan texts. We are currently translating them back into Sanskrit.

ETV: Which countries are supporting Tibet's demand for independence? How many countries did you visit since you were elected President?

PT: We can go to America twice a year because we have a government-in-exile in Himachal. We exist because the Indian government exists. For this, we're grateful to the Indian government and its people. The US also provided political support and funding. But this year, they have cut-off our funding along with the entire world, so our funding was cut off as well.

The US is the only country that has enacted a policy and an act regarding Tibet. Other countries sympathise with us, but are unable to provide us much support. Although these countries have democracy and freedom, they are dependent on China.

When we visit any country, we try to see how we can improve, by combining that country's national interests with our own. We can't just talk about human rights. We also have to consider economics. We have to look at everything. Internationally, from the UN to ASEAN+, G20, and BRICS, we always have to keep an eye on what China is doing.

I also visited London and Holland in the last week of June regarding Dalai Lama's reincarnation. The foreign ministries of both countries promised to issue statements. Our first step was to have the Human Rights ambassadors of the UK, Germany, France, Holland, Iceland, and Estonia issue a statement in July, when we celebrated His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. The second step is to work with democratic countries in the future, which, for China is a major issue.

China claims there is no problem in Tibet, that it's is a socialist paradise. The US government says that the issue is yet to be resolved, that there still is conflict in Tibet. China is also destroying Tibet's history, reducing the autonomous region into a small area on the map. Tibetans are Buddhists and belong to the same race. We also use the same language.

ETV: Do you believe China interferes in every country? Is it really that strong?

PT: If you have a position and don't live up to it, China will continue to interfere. When PM Narendra Modi came to power, he strengthened foreign policy. Before this, Pakistan was always preoccupied with Kashmir. There used to be clashes on the border. When the incidents in Dokalam and Ladakh came to light, everyone knew what China was doing. China occupies the no man's land, as during any future conflict, it can give China a strategic advantage.

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