Tibetans want Dalai Lama to reconsider decision

Gangtok, Mar 16: The decision of the Dalai Lama to give up his political role and the acceptance of it by the Tibetan cabinet has stirred emotions in the strong Tibetan community in the state.

Members of the Tibetan settlement, Tibetan Youth Club and Tibetan Women's Association have described the development as ''heart-breaking'' and requested his Holiness to reconsider the decision.

''The news is heart-breaking for all Tibetans within and outside Tibet. We request the Dalai Lama to reconsider his decision and continue his services to Tibetans since none can fill the vacuum,'' an emotionally-upset Karma Damdul, Settlement Officer, Gangtok said.

The seven cabinet members have unanimously accepted the Dalai Lama's decision to retire as political head of the exiled Tibetan government, though the parliament-in exile has not yet done so and is still discussing the matter.

Karma Damdul, however, said the Tibetans at the same time could not ''go against'' the wishes of the Dalai Lama since this was his way of telling the Tibetan people that his relinquishing active politics was to educate the Tibetans in the future governance of Tibet.

''What we want to express here is that His Holiness's decision is to see that the Tibetan Government-in-Exile will execute and amend the charter very intelligently,'' he said.

Yangden Bhutia, president of the Tibetan Women's Association, said that they were still not ready to accept his decision and requsted him to continue for a few more years.

''We shall be left as orphans if he leaves us at this moment. He has taught us to stand on our own two feet and feel that he wants to test us but what we want to say is that we are still not ready to accept this decision,'' she said.

Former President of the Tibetan Youth Club Gangtok Zimba Pintso said the Tibetans were aware that age had caught up with him and he needed rest, but the fight for freedom was still on.

PTI