Dharamshala: Tibetan activists staged a protest here in McLeodganj on Saturday appealing to the G20 leaders gathered in Delhi to discuss China's alleged attempts at erasing Tibetan culture. The student protesters alleged that the Chinese government was continuously assaulting their education system and trying to erase Tibetan culture and identity.
The protesters urged the world leaders to take firm action against these actions. Tenzin Passang, national director of Students for Free Tibet (India), said China has established in Tibet colonial-style boarding schools where Tibetan children, as young as four years old, are separated from their families and forced into these schools.
The separation disconnects them from their language and culture not just their families, he said. Tenzin Lekdhen, campaign director at Students for Free Tibet - India, said, "We want to urge G20 leaders to specifically talk about these events that are currently happening in Tibet, especially this colonial boarding school and human rights violation inside Tibet." The Tibetan protesters raised slogans in support of their demand for protecting and preserving their culture, according to a PTI report.
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Meanwhile, in his opening remarks at the G20 session on 'One Earth' on Saturday morning, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about a system that can herald lasting trust and peace in the world in order to meet critical challenges in food, livelihood and environment. Modi elaborated to the world leaders how India has worked on effective initiatives such as the LiFE Mission and launched the Green Grids Initiative.