Delhi, 14th December 2023: A delegation from the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, headed by Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang and including MPs Tenpa Yarphel, Geshe Lharampa Gowo Lobsang Phende, and Tsaneytsang Dhondup Tashi, continued their advocacy initiatives in Delhi on the third day. The delegation held a series of meetings with key dignitaries and organized a dinner at the Ashok Hotel for Members of the Indian Parliament from Northern and North Eastern India, which share borders with Tibet, fostering discussions on shared interests in water-related issues.

The day commenced with a meeting with Shri Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel, Chairperson of the Committee on Water Resources and Member of Lok Sabha, where the delegation highlighted China’s pursuit of hydro-hegemony through dam construction in Tibet.

Subsequently, the delegation reached out to Smt. Amee Yajnik, Member of Rajya Sabha; Smt. Maneka Gandhi, Member of Lok Sabha; Sadguru Riteshwar Ji Maharaj, and held a meeting with Shri Pankaj Goyal, National General Secretary of Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch; Shri Krishna Gautam, Patron of Meerut Prant BTSM; Shri Dr. Lalit Mohan Jadan, son of MP Dr. Chandrasen Jadan, along with other Tibet supporters at the BJP headquarters. During this time, they also had a brief meeting with Smt. Deepti Rawat Bharadwaj, BJP Mahila Morcha National General Secretary.

To further discussions on shared interests in water-related and climate issues, the Tibetan Parliament hosted a dinner for Indian lawmakers from the Northern and North Eastern states, including Shri Sujeet Kumar, MP (Rajya Sabha) and Convenor of the All Party Indian Parliamentarians on Tibet; Shri Tapir Gao, MP (Lok Sabha) from Arunachal Pradesh; Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi, MP (Lok Sabha) from Uttarakhand; Shri Birendra Prasad Baishya, MP (Rajya Sabha) from Assam; Shri Abdul Khaleque, MP (Lok Sabha) from Assam; Shri Shisu Bandhu Dey, OSD to KAAC Assam; Shri Rwngwra Narzary, MP (Rajya Sabha) from Assam; Shri Horem Sing Bey, MP (Lok Sabha) from Assam; Shri R. Khrimey, former MP and National Convener of the Core Group for Tibetan Cause; Shri Aneel Prasad Hegde, MP (Rajya Sabha); Shri Dominic Tadar, Chairman KNIB Arunachal Pradesh; and others.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang emphasized the significance of the Tibetan plateau and its rivers to Asia, especially to the Indian states in the north and north-east. MPs Shri Sujeet Kumar, Shri Tapir Gao, Shri Abdul Khaleque, and Shri Aneel Prasad Hegde also shared their insights on the importance of Tibet’s rivers to the north and north-eastern states at the dinner gathering.