(TibetanReview.net, Apr25’22) – A protest in support of Tibet was held in front of the Chinese consulate in Kolkata, the capital of what was once the communist heartland in India of the state of West Bengal, said the India-Tibet Coordination Office (ITCO). New Delhi, Apr 25.
The occasion was the visit of a Chinese delegation taking part in a business summit in the city.
Taking part in the protest, which took place on Apr 23, were stated to be around 150 people from four NGOs – Ganusamanoy Kolkata, We are the Common People, Wise World Foundation, and Sanskriti Foundation.
Holding Tibetan and Indian National Flags, the protesters were stated to have called for the restoration of human rights and freedom in Tibet. They were also stated to have sung songs and recited poems in support of Tibet and to have sat for a one-hour dharna (sit-in protest) in solidarity with and respect for the recent protest self-immolations in Tibet by two Tibetans.
Speaking to the media, protest leader Ms Ruby Mukherjee has called on the Chinese government to stop torture and human rights violations in Tibet. And she has expressed the protesters’ solidarity with Tsewang Norbu, a 25-year-old Tibetan musician, and Taphun, an 81-year-old Tibetan man who had recently immolated themselves in protest against Chinese rule in Tibet.
Prominent local Indians who joined the protest were stated to include Mr Ramesh Kumar Handa, DIG (retd); Prof (Dr) Mohit Roy and Shri Sobhajeet Dutta Gupta, social activist.