We Will 'Resort to Desperate Measures'
(Delhi | May 5, 1996)
(Letter sent to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies by the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society | May 5, 1996)
To the Twelfth Assembly of the Tibetan People's Deputies, On this auspicious day, we, the members of Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society from the three provinces of Tibet, respectfully extend our greetings and congratulations to the new Tibetan government, on which rests the hope for the success of our national struggle and to whom people with genuine problems can go for redressal.
As you are aware, the old government made a decision to ban the propitiation of Dorje Shugden. Instead of solving the problem, this decision has divided the Tibetans into two disparate groups. And the problem is deepening with each passing day. Unlike other freedom struggles, the struggle for religion and people's identity cannot be wished away by the authoritarian order of rulers. We know that many high quality government officials are saddened by the government's decision. We also know that a handful of poisonous and shameless officials persist in turning the milk sea of Tibet into a sea of boiling blood. We will never allow this to happen. So far, the Tibetan people have been made to put signatures through persistent employment of all kinds of methods. People say this is the signature of coercion. Therefore, we have sent a number of petitions to the Secretary of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Kashag, the Assembly, and yesterday to His Holiness the Dalai Lama personally.
When one searches for the basis for this affected seriousness and urgency about His Holiness' life and the Tibetan national cause, one finds that people base their belief on the government's statement, the government on that of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness on that of the controversial being who calls himself Nechung, and the Nechung on that of one or two beings who are neither deities, nor ghosts, and who speak through the physical medium of new refugees from Tibet with no history of having been mediums. We will never allow anyone to put the future of six million Tibetans into the hands of a few beings who are nether deities, nor ghosts. We respectfully plead to the new Kashag and the Assembly to discuss the issue of Dorje Shugden fairly, according to the provisions of the democratic charter of Tibetans in exile, and to restore our human rights. We request you to send us a reply by the 14th of this month; and there should be no procrastination. We, in our present state of desperation, have made up our mind to resort to desperate measures if such a decision is not made. And when we do take desperate actions, you will be filled with remorse and suffer shame in the eyes of the Tibetan community, of the Indian government and people, and in the eyes of the international community. It will also expose the fact that you have been lying to the outside world all along. This shame will, of course, be the fruit of some government officials action. There is no doubt that the Tibetan society will be divided into two. In view of this, we request you to send us a reply with truth as the witness.
Sealed:
Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society
Friends of Tibet (INDIA),
PO Box 16674, Bombay 400050
www.friendsoftibet.org