India: Government bans Tibetan rally in Delhi

Event

Tibetan leaders announced on Wednesday, March 7, that an event to commemorate the Dalai Lama’s 60th year in exile will be moved from Delhi to Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh state). The rally was moved after India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale reportedly sent a note to the Tibetan government-in-exile, asking that the event in Delhi be canceled due to ongoing efforts to improve relations with China. A representative for the Dalai Lama said that the rescheduled rally will take place on March 31.

Context

The Dalai Lama has been leading a government-in-exile mainly based out of Dharamshala that calls for an autonomous Tibet. China has ruled Tibet since 1950, after taking control of the region during a “peaceful liberation.” In 1958, Tibetans started an uprising to regain independence, but it was quickly put down by Chinese soldiers. The Dalai Lama fled to India to avoid the crackdown and was granted asylum by the government.

Advice

Individuals in India are advised to monitor the situation, anticipate higher demands for transportation and hotel accommodations in the Dharamshala area during the commemoration event, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.