Dharamshala — The issue of Tibet was among the issues discussed when a US Congressional delegation met Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Thursday, in New Delhi, the capital of India.
The meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came a day after the US high-level Bipartisan Congressional Delegation's meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, President of Central Tibetan Administration Dr Lobsang Sangay, during a public felicitation in honour of the US delegation.
"In our meetings with top government officials, our delegation expressed our gratitude to the government and people of India for hosting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, and for the support of Tibetans living in India," said the U.S Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi who led the eight-member US delegation.
“Our bipartisan delegation was pleased to meet with Prime Minister Modi, where we had a productive conversation on the importance of the U.S.-India relationship and the shared values which bind our two countries,” said Leader Pelosi.
“We exchanged views on our security cooperation and the terrorist threat, India’s leadership addressing the climate crisis, and our mutual priority of respecting the human rights of all people in our countrie,” she added.
The delegation arrived in Brussels on Friday and visited both U.S. NATO Headquarters and the European Parliament. “Our delegation was pleased to receive an important tri-mission security briefing from U.S. officials,” said Leader Pelosi.
“With the increased threat of Russian aggression in our hemisphere, it is important for the delegation to receive the latest information from officials on the ground, and reaffirm the bipartisan support for NATO’s mission in the U.S. Congress.”
The delegation met with European Union parliamentarians to discuss regional security and stability, economic security, the impact of Brexit and E.U. accession, the Visa Waiver program, and other critical issues of concern to U.S.- E.U. relations,' source said.
At the public felicitation held in Dharamsala in honour of the Delegation,leader Pelosi remarked: "We came to see you as you have inspired us with your hope. I am more hopeful than ever that we will meet the challenges that face us. My hope springs from His Holiness' message of compassion. Hope exists right where His Holiness tells us, right between deep faith in the goodness of others, belief and compassion."
"When we see the spark in the eyes of the children yesterday at the Tibetan Children's Village, the children's vision, we saw hope that they will one day return home to Tibet. When we saw the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts last night and today, we saw the hope that they would bring the authenticity of the Tibetan art home to Tibet. When we heard the leadership of President Dr Sangay, we saw hope for the progress of freedom for Tibet," she explained.
At a meeting with the Kashag of CTA, Leader Pelosi recalled her visit to Tibet in November 2015 during which she told the Chinese leaders that His Holiness is "not a person but a phenomena." She further said His Holiness' compassionate leadership reinforces the belief that "goodness of others will give us hope."
Leader Pelosi lauded the Kashag for providing outstanding leadership to Tibetan people and termed the exile Tibetan democracy as an "incredible democracy." She also said "President Dr Sangay is a respected leader and a source of pride for all of us who care for Tibet."
Tibet was invaded by Communist China in 1949. Since that time, over 1.2 million out of 6 million Tibetans have been killed, over 6000 monasteries have been destroyed and acts of murder, rape, arbitrary imprisonment, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment were inflicted on the Tibetans inside Tibet. Beijing continues to call this a "peaceful liberation".
