Majnu Ka Tila, a Tibetan resettlement colony, wore a fortified look on Wednesday, with the shops shut and a large posse of policemen deployed everywhere ahead of Chinese President Xi Jingping’s visit to Delhi.
Area cordoned off The area has been cordoned off to ensure that Tibetans do not cause disruptions during Mr. Xi’s visit in the Capital. Though some of them still managed to stage a protest outside the resettlement colony on Wednesday, the policemen made sure it was a peaceful one.
The residents, who wore black, also kept their place of worship, situated in the middle of the colony, closed as mark of protest.
The residents said they have high hopes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wanted him to take up their cause with the visiting dignitary.
Posters with “Prime Minister Modi speak for Tibet — Tibet ke sath Modi sarkar ” written on them adorned the walls at Majnu Ka Tila.
Majnu ka Tila Residents’ Welfare Association president Karten Tsering said: “We are hopeful that Mr. Modi will discuss our issue with the Chinese President because it is a genuine issue. This issue is being discussed since ages now, many of our youths have sacrificed their lives for it and nothing seems to have solved.”
“A section of people in our community are suggesting that we should take the middle path of compromise, but a large number still want total independence from China,” Mr. Tsering said.
He added that respect to the Dalai Lama could mark a way forward in improving the ties between the Chinese and the Tibetans.
Protests ahead of Xi’s Delhi visit
Tibetans living in the Capital on Wednesday staged protests in front of the Chinese Embassy and at Majnu Ka Tila to oppose President Xi Jingping’s visit to the country. The protesters resorted to these venues after they were denied permission to stage a protest at Ramlila Maidan. Those who came to the Chinese Embassy were detained by the police as soon as they reached the venue. “Protesters carrying Tibetan flags staged demonstrations outside the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi's Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave. We detained some of them as they were trying to breach the barricades,” said a police officer. At Majnu Ka Tila, nearly 500 residents of the resettlement colony staged a peaceful protest around 11 a.m. They also blocked traffic for about 15 to 20 minutes.
