On the 64th Tibetan National Uprising Day on Friday, members of the Tibetan Youth Congress staged a protest in front of the Chinese Embassy,New Delhi. The protestors demanded freedom of Tibet from the illegal occupation of China. The Delhi Police had put up barricades around 2 km from the embassy and imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, in the area as a preventive measure. As the protestors tried to cross over the barricade to come closer to the embassy, they were arrested by the police and detained and later set free.
Correspondingly, a group of Tibetan refugees marched from Janpath to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to mark the day. “Tibetans have been experiencing tumultuous challenges under China. Till now, 169 Tibetans have self-immolated themselves for the just cause of Tibet,” claimed TYC president Gonpo Dhondup. Tibetans in exile all over the world staged protests or commemorated the day in their various capacities and strongly sent a message that they want Tibet to be free at all cost and that they are longing for their homeland. These sparks of protests saw the support of many people in different countries who have been vociferous about the cause. 10 March 1959 is when thousands of Tibetans took to the streets of Lhasa, Tibet’s capital to protest against forceful Chinese occupation of Tibet. They also came together and surrounded the Potala Palace to protect the Dalai Lama as there were rumours of his assassination. The Chinese soldiers came down heavily on the protestors resulting in a clash between the two sides. The resilient protestors did not give in to Chinese brutality. Dalai Lama crossed over to India and has remained in exile since then, but several Tibetans lost their lives on this day. Since then, every year, Tibetans all over the world mark this day as the Tibetan National Uprising Day and mourn the sacrifices made by Tibetan martyrs.