Modi’s effort for world peace incomplete if he fails to espouse the cause of Tibetans

By NS Venkataraman* 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in Hiroshima , Japan on 20th May,2023 and Mr. Modi has promised that India would do it’s best to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. This is a reassuring statement , since India has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia and is in a position to mediate between both these countries in a just manner.
Of course, Mr. Modi’s assurance to facilitate peace between both these countries is in sharp contrast to the announced efforts of Chinese President, since China itself is widely perceived to have territorial ambitions and many people may think that China promising to mediate between Ukraine and Russia is similar to devil quoting scripture.
What is more interesting is that Mr.Modi was reported to have told Ukraine’s President “ You know much more than any of us the pain of war but I could very well understand your pain and the pain of the Ukrainian people when our children narrated the circumstances in your country after they were brought back last year”.
While it is gratifying to know that Mr. Modi understands the pain of Ukrainians, where millions of Ukrainians have suffered enormously due to the war launched by Russia against Ukraine and have been forced to leave the mother land to go to other countries as refugees , one cannot but think that Mr. Modi does not seem to have said at anytime about his knowing the pain of Tibetans, when Tibet was attacked and occupied by China. Tibetans were massacred by China, when China entered Tibet forcing thousands of Tibetans to leave their motherland and go to India as refugees.
Pain of Tibetans are no less than that of Ukrainians.
The present ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is taking place on the Ukrainian soil and airspace and not on that of Russia. This, obviously reveals the fact that Russia is the aggressor. Russia has been mercilessly bombing and attacking Ukraine and in the process large number of Ukrainians have lost their lives. There is really no difference between the act of Russia in Ukraine and that of China in Tibet.
While Ukraine is getting sympathy and support from several countries now, this was not the case in the case of Tibetans when they were mercilessly attacked by China. Tibet was left high and dry and the world conscience appeared to have become silent. Till today, justice has not been done to Tibetans and China is ruling the Tibet region with iron fist and is virtually keeping Tibet out of the sight of the world.
It is high time that UNO as well as several countries and the world community committed to the cause of peace and fair play should view the Tibetan issue with the same perspective and concern as they do in the case of Ukraine. Unfortunately, China appears to have been allowed to have the last laugh as far as the Tibetan issue is concerned.MThousands of Tibetan refugees are now In India without knowing when they would get their motherland back.
While Mr. Modi’s efforts to bring peace between Russia and Ukraine would be in the interest of the world, why not Mr. Modi talk of the plight and pain of Tibetans too? India too has been attacked by China several times causing loss of lives and China is occupying several thousands of kilometres of Indian territory at present.
It is true that China would not allow any peace move by Mr. Modi in the case of Tibet, However, it would be good if Mr. Modi would start speaking about the pain of Tibetans , which certainly he would understand and wake up the conscience of the world towards the Tibetan cause. Mr. Modi’s claimed efforts towards the world peace by trying to bring accord between Ukraine and Russia would be an incomplete exercise, if he would fail to espouse the cause of Tibetans and highlight the pain of Tibetans.
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*Trustee, Nandini Voice For The Deprived, Chennai