REFUGEE

Chennai, November 2: Tamilians and Tibetans here have joined hands yesterday against a leading English daily which "continues to charge both the communities as ‘separatists’." N.Ram’s The Hindu media brigade has completely ignored the genocide and suffering the two communities are undergoing” said Thirumurugan, key organiser of the Tamil-Tibetan gathering. N Ram is known for his strong leaning towards leftist ideologies and infamous articles supporting China's "claims and lies".

A young consultant for an advertising agency, Thiruja gathered a huge number of Tamilians and Tibetans to protest what he calls "the continued barrage of biased and prejudiced reports by The Hindu. Noted Tibetan poet and activist Tenzin Tsundue who is known for surprise protest antics during Chinese leaders' visits was present to voice his protest against the daily.

“This is a unique gathering here” said Tsundue, who spoke in a spattering Tamil and then later spoke in English. “When our Tibetan students marched to The Hindu office, our youth were alone, today the Tamils have realised how manipulative and maligned the reports made by N Ram are”. The Tibetan writer said, “The Hindu politics is only a symptom. The larger issue is the coming of Chinese influence in the Indian space, and the creation of the Chinese hegemonic cordon around the Indian subcontinent like the growing Chinese influence in Burma, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and of course Pakistan.” Tsundue further said the cause of Tibetan independence is directly related to India’s security in the face growing Chinese influence in the world and threat on India.

Former navy commandant Mr Subramanium said: "China is a failed 'union' of occupied countries and contradictions. There is no future China as a country. The state is already rotting and it will soon come crumbling
down.”

The gathering passed a resolution declaring the newspaper anti-Tamil, anti-India and anti-freedom“ since The Hindu is biased and prejudiced towards freedom struggles.

The Tibetan college students put up a photo exhibition on the suffering of Tibetans under Chinese control. Mr. Hubert and Anto V, supporters of Friends of Tibet, and Asha Reddy, who is known as the local guardian for the 200-odd Tibetan students, were also present to support the campaign against The Hindu.

Friends of Tibet has carried for a long time a campaign called ‘Save The Hindu’. The Hindu, one of the oldest national newspapers from the prejudiced reports forced on its readers. The Indian Tibet support group says that The Hindu carries reports from Chinese news agency Xinhua and the People’s Daily, but refuses to include any Tibetan voice in their reports.