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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama with George Fernandes in Dharamsala, HP, India on March 10, 2007. Photo by Tenzin Choejor |
Dharamshala, 29 January 2019: Today, Tibet has lost one of her
dearest and most trusted friend George Fernandes, who remained the strongest
voice of solidarity for the Tibetan cause. His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his
condolence message expressed, “George was a great humanitarian and believer in
truth. Throughout his life, his was a voice for the millions of poor and needy
people of the country. He had a firm conviction in justice and wisdom. He was a
real heroic leader.”1 In India, he was popularly known as a union leader of the
masses, an ardent Lohia comrade, and a seasoned politician.
George’s initial relationship with His Holiness the Dalai Lama
started when Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia requested him to teach some Tibetan youth
(Lodi Gyari) about socialism. He first met His Holiness when the latter visited
Parliament house to meet Dr. Lohia. In 1959, soon after His Holiness fled to
India, he led a protest in front of the Chinese consulate in Mumbai after they
refused to take the memorandum.2
In 1967, he won the parliamentary election from south Bombay. In
that year, when many prominent Indian leaders like Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, Prof.
ML Sondhi, Acharya Kripalani and Madhu Limaye rigorously debated in favour of a
resolution in the Parliament on whether the Dalai Lama should be recognized as
the Head of the émigré Government of Tibet and the Government of India to
extend all facilities and help to liberate Tibet from the colonial rule of
Communist China, George Fernandes raised up to say Ayes for the resolution. Since
the house was divided with the motion, the resolution failed to passed.3
“There are many who believe
that it is now too late in the day to think about the freedom of Tibet. Such
people belong to the category of those who have lost faith in themselves and
have never understood the indomitable nature of the spirit of the human being.
To them history is as static as the Himalayas appear to be, though over the
ages, the Himalayas too have kept evolving and changing.” - George Fernandes, Keynote address
delivered at the International Convention on Tibet and Peace in South Asia, New
Delhi, 12-14 August, 1989
On May 11, 1993 the All India Parliamentary Forum for Tibet
(AIPFT) was formed with the involvement and cooperation of many Indian
parliamentarians representing all major political parities in India. George
saab was then the first chairman of AIPFT, instrumental in forming the
forum. Under his chairmanship, he
organized the first World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet in Delhi from 18-20
March 1994. Many parliamentarians from 25 countries gathered to discuss the
Tibet issue, which George stressed, “it is for the first time that we succeeded
in taking the Tibetan issue into a large number of parliaments in the world”
and called the New Delhi convention as “qualitatively different” from the
earlier conventions on Tibet.4 The forum adopted the Delhi Resolution which was
based on the Ten Commandments or suggestion for actions in support of the
Tibetan people.5 George, then the member of Indian parliament was vocal in
condemning China when the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wu Jianmin
commented with the hope that india would be careful in future in handling Tibet
political activities on its soil. In response, he made a statement that New
Delhi should tell Beijing, “even if it is a lesson that China’s present day
leaders, with their Tiananmen Square record, may not be able to understand”.6
In 1995, he attended the Second World Parliamentarians Convention
on Tibet in Vilnius, Lithuania. During the deliberations, he said that it is
eminent to hold the next conference in a country which can play the most
significant role, next to India. It is in his firm believe that India has to
play the most significant role in the ultimate fight, which George saab
stressed “fight in all its ramifications to see that Tibet achieves
independence.”7
During the Third World Parliamentarians Convention for Tibet,
which was held in Washington D.C in 1997, George saab iterated that India and
China must talk to each other taking into consideration of the the geopolitical
importance of Tibet. He argued that without Tibet as a central theme, the talks
will be meaningless.8
In 1998, when George Fernandes was the defence minister of India, he
openly declared China as the potential threat No. 1 of India, which suddenly
raised eyebrows of all strategic pundits who were silently observing the
Sino-Indian relations. In 2003, he visited China which again drew lots of media
attentions. However, Bhartendu Kumar Singh wrote a piece that summed up the
personality of George saab, “George Fernandes, the Defence Minister, who is
pragmatic about the prospects of Sino-Indian relations, is only articulating
the official viewpoint. In private, he still remains the same ‘old’ George, who
continues to support the Tibetans, reveres the Dalai Lama and carries on the
PSP’s perception of China as a strategic threat. George, as an individual,
would still like to stand by his 1998 description of China as a potential enemy
no.1.”8
In 2007, George attended the 48th commemoration of Tibetan National
Uprising Day at the courtyard of Tsuglakhang in Dharamshala where he said that
the struggle must continue until the full resolution of Tibet issue. He asserted
that he shall remain an optimist on the Tibet issue.
In 2008, when a nationwide uprising happened in Tibet, George
saab was vocal enough to call for a boycott of torch relay in India. He said
that “the Olympic torch should not be allowed to come to India and that he had
asked his 'colleagues' and others to make 'whatever effort' to prevent the
flame's run in India.” On his 77th birthday, His Holiness attended George Abhinandane hosted by his
friends in Bangalore. As a response to that felicitation, he read "The
presence of Dalai Lama and others will bring more strength to go with struggle
for the causes of poor and downtrodden,"9
In 2009, George Fernandes visited Dharamshala and attended the
Thank you India program hosted by the Tibetan NGOs. He told the Tibet Post,
‘these refugees have human rights in India, shouting, demonstrating, and
protesting are all within their rights. Never should a Tibetan be
arrested in India for exercising his personal freedoms.”10
Today, at this sad moment of his demise, Tibet has lost her trusted friend, who
had consistently worked for Tibet for decades whether he be in the government
or outside. Likewise, Burmese too will grief the loss of their dear friend. I
vividly remember those days when we used to visit him at his MP residence
during the long relay of protests in 2008. Though he was physically weak, we
were empowered by his presence and his larger than life conviction.
We bid farewell to George saab, and shall cherish and remember his goodwill and legacy forever.
Reference:
1. Condolences
on the Death of George Fernandes,
https://www.dalailama.com/news/2019/condolences-on-the-death-of-george-fernandes
2. Faithful
among the Faithful - Interview of George Fernandes in New Delhi by Claude Arpi,
05 June 2018 http://www.indiandefencereview.com/interviews/faithful-among-the-faithful-interview-of-george-fernandes-in-new-delhi/
3. Indian
Parliament on the issue of Tibet Lok Sabha (1952-2005), TPPRC, 2006 pp. 279
4. Dalai
Lama-China dialogue mooted, The Times of India, New Delhi Monday, March 21,
1994
5. World
Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet, A Souvenir, pp. 12
6. India
clarifies position on met on Tibet, Deccan Herald, march 24, 1994
7. Tibet:
Saving A People from Annihilation Proceedings of the Second World Parliamentarians
Convention on Tibet, pp. 26
8. George Fernandes and Sino-Indian Relations,
by Bhartendu Kumar Singh, IPCS, 27 May 2003 http://www.ipcs.org/focusthemsel.php?articleNo=1044
9. George
Fernandes felted on his 77th birthday, 17 January 2008
https://www.oneindia.com/2008/01/17/george-fernandes-felted-on-his-77th-birthday-1200580434.html
10. Tibetan refugees have human rights in India: Indian former
minister, George Fernandes, The Tibet Post, 07 July 2009 http://www.thetibetpost.com/en/news/exile/249-tibetan-refugees-have-human-rights-in-india-indian-former-minister-george-fernandes
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