Tibetan protesters at Darjeeling’s Chowrastha on Thursday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, April 17: Members of the Tibetan community in Darjeeling have decided to shave their heads en-masse at Chowrastha on April 21 to protest against the Chinese crackdown in Tibet.

“We have decided to observe Black Monday by shaving our heads. We are expecting some of our women to join the programme, which will start at 10.30am,” Pasang Doma, an executive member of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, said.

The day has been chosen because the recent Tibetan uprising began on March 10, which was a Monday. In 1959, the first uprising had started on the same date, March 10, when Chinese troops had tried to arrest the Dalai Lama.

Doma said she was not sure how many people would turn up for the programme. “We have informed our members in places like Pokhriabong, Kalimpong, Mirik and Kurseong and we expect them to come,” she added.

Even as India hosted the Olympic torch rally in Delhi today, hundreds of Tibetans came together at Chowrastha and held a prayer meeting for two hours from 3pm before starting a candlelight march in the evening.

Chuki Lhamu, a representative of the Tibetan Solidarity Committee, claimed that the Chinese government had not yet relented on its arrest spree.

“On April 15, a group of monks gathered at the courtyard of Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery in the Sangchu district of the Amdo province. They decided to protest if the Chinese authorities did not release the 200 monks arrested that morning. To avoid the protest, the Chinese authority felt compelled to release all monks, except three,” a communiqué of the committee read.

The committee alleged that Tibetans were still being arrested in China and their whereabouts were unknown. “Most recently, Jamyang Kyi, a well-known Tibetan writer and performer, was arrested and no one knows where she is. Jamyang Kyi is not only a prominent singer, but also an activist for Tibetan women’s rights,” said Lhamu.

The secretary also accused the Chinese government of promoting discord between Tibetans and Chinese overseas. “There are cases of the Chinese government sponsoring its nationals, particularly young students, abroad to oppose pro-Tibet protesters and as a result creating rift between the two ethnic groups,” said Lhamu.

The committee has appealed to the UN and the international community to consider the following demands:

• Immediately dispatch independent fact-finding delegation to Tibet

• Allow free press to cover the whole of Tibet

• End the brutal killings in the whole of Tibet

• Release all arrested and imprisoned Tibetans

• Extend immediate medical assistance to injured Tibetans

• Allow free movement of people and provide access to daily needs