Message of the torch protest

Dear Editor,

Message of the Olympic Torch Protest

I write to respond to “Wrong to hijack the Olympic torch”. I think the writer has missed my point somewhat.

The writer may have stayed with Tibetan households and found them to be at par or better than the poor in our country. That is probably an indication of how tough these people are. But what are their true feelings about the situation in their homeland? I doubt they would share the writer’s disgust.

In India, Tibetans live in settlements and do not have much freedom of work or trade. The conditions in those that I have seen would not be something that neither I nor I think, the writer, would care to spend the rest of his life. Tibetans remain refugees in India and I remember one incident where I fought the hotel people to allow my Tibetan friends to stay the night. This happened in dingy Paharganj in New Delhi, not some posh hotel where there may have been more house rules.

We need to look deeper into this whole episode of the torch run. When I said that my point has been missed is simply that Tibetans are people too and at a deeper level our brothers and sisters. The first person I would think would have realized this would be the writer who has experienced their hospitality. It is far easier to condemn and show disgust than to try to understand the reason behind another’s actions. What I am writing for is that we not be so easy to show disgust because our pleasure of watching the Olympics is threatened.

I am saddened to see images where people throw stones at each other be they Tibetans or otherwise. It should never happen. But that is not to be confused with the message behind the torch protest which is to bring world awareness to their situation.

I am not campaigning for their cause rather urging for some reflection on why they are protesting. Respect asked for is simply respect for their cry for help from the rest of the world. It may be their last cry yet. There may not be very many brave ones left who are prepared to risk personal exposure.

It begins with disgust and very soon leads to contempt then hatred. There is one thing beautiful coming out of Tibet and that is the teaching on equality and compassion. Has the writer not absorbed any of this during his stays with them?