(TibetanReview.net, Aug08’24) – The All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet (APIPFT), first established in 1970, was relaunched in the new Indian Parliament on Aug 7 following the Apr-Jun 2024 Indian general elections. It took place as a delegation of Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) members undertook a lobbying campaign during the Indian Parliament’s ongoing session.
Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab, a BJP MP from Odisha state who served as the Pro-Tem Speaker of the current, 18th Lok Sabha (lower house of Indian parliament), is the group’s Convenor while Mr Tapir Gao, a BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh, is the Co-convener, said the Central Tibetan Administration on its Tibet.net website Aug 8.
The relaunch was announced during a dinner launch event hosted by the TPiE and the India Tibet Coordination Office (ITCO), New Delhi.
Other MP’s who attended the event have included Mr Sujeet Kumar (Rajya Sabha, BJD, and former Convener of APIPFT); Mr Manoj Tigga (Lok Sabha, BJP, West Bengal); Mr Amarsing Tisso (Lok Sabha, BJP, Assam); Mr Joyanta Basumatary (Lok Sabha, United People’s Party Libera, Assam); Mr S Phangnon Konyak (Rajya Sabha, BJP, Nagaland); Mr Birendra Prasad Baishya (Rajya Sabha, Asom Gana Parishad, Assam); Mr Jagannath Sarkar (Lok Sabha, BJP, West Bengal); Associate Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (Lok Sabha, INC, Manipur); Mr Indra Hang Subba (Lok Sabha, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Sikkim); Mr Pradyut bordoloi (Lok Sabha, INC, Assam); Mr Phani Bhusan Choudhury (Lok Sabha, Asom Gana Parishad, Assam): and Mr Mohammad Haneefa (Lok Sabha, Independent, Ladakh).
Ms Maneka Gandhi (former Lok Sabha member, BJP) and Dr Pankaj Pushkar (Senior Fellow, Legislative Support Group, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and Former MLA, Delhi Legislative Assembly) have also attended the event.
Mr Mehtab could not attend due to some unavoidable circumstance, Gao has announced.
TPiE members who attended the event were stated to include the Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and the other delegation members Geshe Lharampa Atuk Tsetan, Lopon Thupten Gyaltsen, Tsaneytsang Dhondup Tashi, Geshe Ngaba Gangri, Geshe Atong Rinchen Gyaltsen, and Tsering Yangchen.
The event was stated to have been addressed by the TPiE Speaker, Mr Kumar, and Mr Gao.
Mr Gao has expressed support for the Tibetan people’s rights to self-determination, the resumption of dialogue between China and envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the basis of the latter’s Middle Way proposal, and for countering of China’s false narrative on Tibet. He has called on China to immediately release all Tibetan political prisoners.