[Reader-list] Tibet
S. Jabbar
sonia.jabbar at gmail.com
Wed Mar 26 09:22:15 IST 2008
I can’t speak for those who advocate violence, but if you are saying the
Dalai Lama’s non-violent campaign has been ineffectual, you have to ask
whether the Kashmiri or Naxalite movements have achieved their stated
objectives.
You have to also examine people’s attitudes in those areas that have
suffered prolonged cycles of violence , for example Sri Lanka or even
Kashmir, to see whether it is as efficacious a political tool as was
believed initially.
On 3/24/08 11:34 PM, "Pawan Durani" <pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 3/20/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:>>>>>>>>And two, ideas.
> The end to slavery, the sun setting on the British Empire,the fall of the
> Berlin Wall all happened because someone first imagined it was
> possible.>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Sonia ,
>
> Doesn't this actually promote people into believing that the violence needs to
> be continued to achieve a goal, as in case of Kashmir or for Naxalites ?
>
> Just trying to understand !!!
>
> Regards
>
> Pawan Durani
>
>
> On 3/20/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
>> My views on Tibet and my long support for the Dalai Lama and his peaceful
>> 'middle path' (autonomy not independence with full religious and cultural
>> rights) on Tibet are well known, as is my support to the right of return of
>> the exiled Tibetans, Palestinians and Kashmiri Pandits.
>>
>> Have to clarify though that I did not write the petition in support of the
>> Tibetans but merely forwarded the message sent out by the organisation,
>> Avaaz, which I fully endorse.
>>
>> Peerzada Arshad rightly questioned the efficacy of these online petitions.
>> Of course I don't believe that me or you taking a few seconds out to sign a
>> petition is going to change anything in China or anywhere else in the world
>> where there is injustice. But even for a few seconds, it has brought an
>> issue into our consciousness. Perhaps we will think about it today, perhaps
>> we will talk about it with a few friends and colleagues, and make common
>> cause with young Tibetans who are struggling to make sense of a world that
>> supports China because of its economic and military clout while ignoring and
>> making irrelevant a struggle that has remained non-violent for over 60
>> years.
>>
>> What does one do? How can one creatively respond to situations like these
>> that seem huge, powerful, insurmountable?
>>
>> The easiest thing in the world is to remain cynical or fall into despair.
>> The hardest is to keep faith, optimism and cheerfulness alive. What works
>> for me each time unerringly is to focus on two things:
>>
>> One, change is the nature of the universe. Whether we like it or not the
>> universe is in flux. Time flows, things happen. Seemingly unrelated things
>> sometimes coalesce to bring down the whole house of cards: the assassination
>> of Archduke Franz Ferdinand caused the First World War and the break up of
>> two empires. Notwithstanding the Vietnamese military pressures on the US,
>> the protests in America against Vietnam in the '60's forced the US
>> government to rethink its large-scale interventionist policies for 30 years
>> until Iraq.
>>
>> And two, ideas. The end to slavery, the sun setting on the British Empire,
>> the fall of the Berlin Wall all happened because someone first imagined it
>> was possible.
>>
>> My act of clicking on that petition, (though I'll admit is the worst form of
>> armchair activism) is because I can imagine that another China, which is
>> more humane, more inclusive, more democratic is not only desirable but
>> possible.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/19/08 6:41 PM, "Aditya Raj Kaul" <kauladityaraj at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> > Yeah. Unlike the other "elite class" of Sarai, Sonia did write something
>> about
>>> > the Tibetans here. I appreciate her. And, on similar lines Pandits
>> continue
>>> > their protest against terrorist and conscienceless killer Yasin
>> Malik. You can
>>> > add your voice by signing here
>> http://www.petitiononline.com/ymalik8/
>>
>> For
>>> > more details on Malik, visit -
>>> > www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/
>>> <http://www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/>
>>
>> Thanks
>> Aditya Raj Kaul
>>
>>
>> On 3/19/08, S.
>>> > Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > A Million Strong for Tibet: End the
>>> > violence
>>> >
>>> > THE TIBETANS ARE SENDING OUT A GLOBAL CRY FOR CHANGE.
>>> >
>>> > After
>>> > decades of repression, Tibetans are crying out to the world for
>>> > change. The
>>> > Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness The Dalai Lama, has
>>> > called for
>>> > restraint and dialogs: he needs the world's people to support
>>> > him. But
>>> > violence is spreading across Tibet and the world, and the Chinese
>>> > regime is
>>> > right now considering a choice between increasing brutality or
>>> > dialogs, that
>>> > could determine the future of Tibet and China.
>>> >
>>> > We can affect this historic
>>> > choice - China Œdoes¹ care about its
>>> > international reputation. Its economy
>>> > is totally dependent on "Made in
>>> > China" exports that we all buy, and it is
>>> > keen to make the Olympics in
>>> > Beijing this summer a celebration of a new
>>> > China that is a respected world
>>> > power. The Chinese President Hu Jintao needs
>>> > to hear that 'Brand China'
>>> > and
>>> > the Olympics can succeed only if he makes
>>> > the right choice. But it will
>>> > take
>>> > an avalanche of global people power to
>>> > get the government's attention.
>>> >
>>> > "I find hope in the darkest of days, and
>>> > focus in the brightest. I do not
>>> > judge the universe."
>>> > - The Dalai
>>> > Lama
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> >
>>> > IMMEDIATE ACTION
>>> > `````````````````
>>> >
>>> > Sign a
>>> > petition.
>>> >
>>> > Click below to sign a petition to President Hu calling for
>>> > restraint in
>>> > Tibet and dialogue with the Dalai Lama -- and tell absolutely
>>> > everyone you
>>> > can right away. The petition is organized by Avaaz, and they
>>> > are urgently
>>> > aiming to reach 1 million signatures to deliver directly to
>>> > Chinese
>>> > officials:
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/98.php/?CLICK_TF_TRACK
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Thank you so much for your help!
>>> > _________________________________________
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