Dharamshala: Tibetan President meets delegation of Parliamentary Standing Committee of India

Talking about the development of Tibetan democratic politics under the leadership of Dalai Lama, the speaker of the Tibetan Parliament also explained the composition and election process of Tibetan Parliament members and briefed them about the constitution and functioning of the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Parliament.

Dharamshala: A delegation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of India is on an official visit to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. On Wednesday, several members of the delegation, along with officials from the Ministry and the Secretariat, visited the Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat Dharamshala in exile. The Speaker and other members of the Tibetan Parliament gave a warm welcome to the members of the Indian Parliament on their arrival.

The Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament expressed his gratitude to India and its people for the support and assistance extended to Tibetans in exile for more than 6 decades since China occupied Tibet. Talking about the development of Tibetan democratic politics under the leadership of Dalai Lama, the speaker of the Tibetan Parliament also explained the composition and election process of Tibetan Parliament members and briefed them about the constitution and functioning of the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Parliament.

"The Tibetan Parliament is a bicameral system, in which no political party organizes two sessions a year. The Members of Parliament stand individually against or for any issue discussed in the Parliament," he said. He urged Indian parliamentarians to stand up against human rights violations inside Tibet, explaining how the Central Tibetan Administration tries to resolve the issue of Tibet and advocates for Tibetans living inside the country.

Kishan Kapoor, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) while addressing the gathering, expressed his happiness in visiting TPIE and appreciated the meeting of Indian and Tibetan Parliamentarians, highlighting the friendship between the Tibetan and Indian communities setting an example in the country today. The MP said that the Dalai Lama, who spread the message of peace across the world, should be honored with India's highest civilian honor and Bharat Ratna.

Speaking on India's security, Kishan Kapoor told how the issue of Tibet is important to the conflicts on the border. He also urged the Indian parliamentarians to extend their support for the Tibetan cause.

Meanwhile, the President of Tibet, Penpa Tsering, met with officials of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Dharamshala and discussed the development of the democratic administration of Tibetan exile in detail during the visit. National Endowment for Democracy President and CEO Damon Wilson praised Tibetan democracy initiated by Dalai Lama and highlighted that President Penpa Tsering is leading an administration that sticks to the democracy model.

President Penpa Tsering spoke about the parliamentary deadlock during the initial phase of his term as President of Tibet and expressed his belief in the maturity of the democratic administration of the Tibetan people in Dharamsala. He assured that despite differences in views and ideologies, and China's covert interference in dividing the Tibetan community into exile, the commitment of each Tibetan to the Tibetan cause is strong and united. Following the Tibetan President's address, Brian Joseph, Vice President of Programs at the NED, spoke at Penpa, covering a wide range of issues focusing on Tibet as well as global peace and stability, democracy, refugees, and the issue of the Tenth Panchen Lama.