The four day conference of a host of anti-Beijing international Chinese action groups in Dharamsala from April 28 marks a monumental moment in the history of India-China relations. Contrary to India’s established policy of playing the underdog , New Delhi appears to be shifting to the combat mode in its dealings with Beijing.
This is first time such a big conglomeration of leaders representing various anti-Beijing Chinese action groups belonging to Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, Taiwan, Hongkong and, of course, pro-democracy Chinese dissidents and leaders of oppressed religious minorities of China like Christians, Muslims and Falun Gong will be meeting together in India.
They are scheduled to exchange notes and probe common strategies on democratising China and getting justice for China’s colonised nationalities like Tibet, East Turkistan and Inner Mongolia. Invited leaders include Yang Jianli, the star of 1989 Tiananmen Square democratic uprising of Chinese students.
A leading NGO, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), will host the conference jointly with US-based group Citizen Power for China (CFC) and Initiatives For China (IFC), also US-based.