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TIME RUNNING OUT IN TIBET |
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fifty
fifty On the record by PROFILE
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TIME RUNNING OUT IN TIBET
Amid
the unending battle of nerves between the Dalai Lama and the Community Party leadership in Beijing, China has been quietly tightening its iron grip on the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). And nobody in Lhasa appears to be complaining, at least on record. The massive and envious development of road and rail infrastructure in Tibet will be an eye opener for any Indian, considering that New Delhi is still floundering to execute even its modest plans to upgrade the infrastructure in key borders areas. As Tibet celebrated the week-long Shoton Festival when monks are offered yoghurt by the commoners, the TAR government hosted journalists from India and other countries in Lhasa to enable them to see for themselves the developmental activities taking place in one of the most sparsely-populated and isolated regions in the world. The Chinese government’s infrastructure plans in TAR are obviously aimed at showcasing the ‘real’ Tibet to the outside world and to dispel, what Beijing says, the propaganda by the Dalai Lama ‘clique’ that the Communist leadership pays scant regard to the wishes and aspirations of the people of the region.
Impressive strides It takes nearly one and a half hour to reach Lhasa’s Gonggar Airport from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu. But one is in for a surprise as soon as one lands in Lhasa. Though small in size, the airport is equipped with all modern facilities and could put some of the major Indian airports to shame. More surprise s in store when one is driven from the airport to the city. The nearly 90-KM distance is covered just in 50 minutes, thanks to the beautifully laid out roads. But the Chinese authorities completed one of the most significant engineering feats a few years back when they set up the railway network in TAR, often called the roof of the world. For long stretches, the railway operates at altitudes higher than many small planes can fly at. The line boasts high-tech engineering to stabilise tracks over permafrost and oxygen is pumped into cabins to help passengers cope with the high altitude. China claims the railway line is bringing major opportunities to a poor region but critics say it is being used by China to assert its control over the border region and destroy the very fabric of the Tibetan identity. Their contention in fact is that all the projects being undertaken in TAR are part of China’s aggressive campaign to assimilate Tibet, under the control of China since 1951 when it suppressed an uprising during which the Dalai Lama escaped to India and set up his abode in Dharamshala. Although denied by Beijing, China is also said to be using the massive settlement of Han Chinese, China’s majority ethnic community, against dissent and separatism to strengthen its hold on the mountainous region. The one thing that appears to concern the authorities in China more than anything is the break-up of China, regardless of whether it is Tibet or Xinjiang, the Muslim region in China’s far west, which recently witnessed violence for which Beijing blamed Pakistan-based terrorists. The government is also nervous of any religious groups that challenge its authority, especially those that inspire a fervour greater than they can command. Both of these sensitive issues are combined in the question of Tibetan independence and the Chinese government is keen that neither gathers any momentum. For the outside world, it is either the media or the Tibetans in exile who can provide information about Tibet. While the information given by those in exile is invariably coloured, it is very hard for journalists to get accurate information as they are hardly ever allowed free access to the region. Organised tours by journalists are always monitored very closely and the recent trip by Indian and journalists from some other nations was no exception. The lack of knowledge of English among Tibetans also proves to be another handicap.
Economic benefits The Tibetan government in exile favours autonomy rather than full independence, but the level of that autonomy has created big splits within the exiled community. The Tibetans within China, either within Tibet itself or in the Tibetan population that covers Western China, are often reluctant to openly criticise the Chinese authorities but frequently infer that they are unhappy about certain aspects of government policy. Nonetheless, many also acknowledge the economic benefits of recent years, as the Dalai Lama himself did in a recent speech on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the ‘Tibetan National Uprising Day’. ”China, with the world’s largest population, is an emerging world power and I admire the economic development it has made. It also has a huge potential to contribute to human progress and world peace. But to do that, China must earn the international community’s respect and trust. In order to earn such respect, China’s leaders must develop greater transparency, their actions corresponding to their world,’’ he said in his speech on March 10. The Chinese government argues that the Chinese rule has lifted Tibet from a period of feudal oppression, created economic opportunities, led to the development of Tibet’s infrastructure and instilled a level of ‘civilisation’ among the Tibetans. But critics counter the argument, saying that the economic benefits have been offered only to a minority, while the infrastructure developments are an attempt to better control and manipulate Tibet while slowly diluting Tibetan culture with an influx of Han Chinese migrants. The truth probably lies somewhere between the two arguments. Tibetans privately regret the slow degradation of a culture and tradition they clearly hold dear, yet many also want to benefit from the same economic opportunities as are available in the rest of the country. Many see economic frustrations at the root of the 2008 riots in the region. Lhasa has developed like many cities in China in recent years, especially since the railway link started to bring more than a million visitors a year to Tibet. But along with the tourists have come streetwise Han Chinese businessmen who seem to have benefited at the cost of the locals. Chinese officials are quick to describe how much the Tibetan economy has improved with recent economic policy. They cite annual double digit growth rate in the past few years. They also proudly talk about billions of dollars spent since 1980 to maintain 1,400 monasteries and cultural relics. ‘’Everything is being done for the development of Tibet and to protect the Tibetan cultural values,’’ according to Xie Ying, Deputy Director at the Information Office of TAR.
Dalai Lama still the best bet While the Chinese and representatives of the Dalai Lama have met on many occasions, they have hardly made any progress in resolving their differences. The March 2008 rioting and the continued stalling of movement in negotiations is just the latest chapter of the conflict where mutual distrust on both sides continues to hinder a solution. The future of the debate seems to be more rhetorical as Tibetan leaders gear up for a more hardline stance that will only be matched by their counterparts in Beijing. China believes the Dalai Lama and his followers draw sustenance from the West. Therefore, every time, the spiritual head of the Tibetans meets a key Western leader, alarm bells start ringing in Beijing. The same thing happened in mid-July when US President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama, prompting a strong protest by Beijing to Washington. The source of Tibetan frustration largely stems from the fact that while Tibet’s standard of living has improved, most of the benefits have gone to the ethnic Han Chinese who have migrated into Tibet. Moreover, Han immigration — encouraged by the Chinese government through tax incentives — is also, according to the Tibetans in exile, undermining Tibet’s political, religious, and cultural freedom. Though the Chinese government does not trust him, the Dalai Lama certainly is central to any peace building process in Tibet. This is because he may perhaps be the only actor who can simultaneously reassure and moderate hard-liners both in the Chinese government and in Tibet’s exile community. Only when the Chinese government sees the Dalai Lama making efforts to moderate the views of Tibetans, is it likely be more receptive to the idea of negotiations on issues such as governance reforms in Tibet. Nevertheless, it may be difficult for either side to take the initial steps necessary to move the process forward. The billion dollar question is whether any other country can play the role of a mediator between the Chinese leadership and the Dalai Lama and whether such a proposal would ever be acceptable to Beijing. In the meantime, the Tibetans can continue with their passion for Hindi movies, which are very popular in
Lhasa. Youngsters can be seen dancing to the tunes of Hindi songs at pubs and functions, though they do not understand the language. Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan are popular among the Hindi film heroes while Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kajol are household names in Lhasa among the Indian heroines. |
fifty
fifty “ But with DMK demanding amnesty for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins and Omar Abdullah tweeting and comparing Afzal Guru’s case with that of Perarivalan, Santhan and Murugan—-would my hawkish friend’s point of view suddenly get rejected ? After all, it is an old argument and most liberal countries in the world have realized that a deterrent like capital punishment is abhorrent. But are we, as Indians, ready to accept that we may not always get an eye for an eye ? Given the fact that courts take a long time to deliver justice ( if they do so at all)—-is there any truth in the belief that in the few cases that a verdict is delivered ,examples have to be made of murderers ? Otherwise we would not hesitate killing each other. Remember this is a “Gandhian” country where many crimes still go unpunished : gendercide or femicide is one of them. Are we , by nature, brutal, callous, indifferent —-and thus not prepared to accept that crime is often committed by individuals who have been pushed, or ( in the case of political movements) brainwashed and brought to the brink. And do we also not accept that cold blooded murders are committed mostly by slightly unhinged individuals ( such as Anders Behring Breivik, in Norway) –who might require psychological care ? Incidentally, since Norway does not have a death penalty and the maximum prison term is only for twenty-one years there is a huge problem for the justice system to deliver a “just” verdict. That is, one which will take into account that Breivik had killed more than seventy people in his shooting spree. They too may have to resort to life imprisonment using different aspects of the law. The most compelling argument that pro-death advocates push forward is that of closure for the family and friends of the victim. Can we imagine how we would feel if a loved one had been killed? Would we not desire some revenge, and have some suffering and a tough punishment imposed on the criminal who had committed the heinous crime? A few months ago in the US—-we saw the disturbing visuals of people celebrating openly in the streets when Osama Bin Laden was “taken out” by the US army. Yet, for many —-the psychological impact was enormous. Only when the terrorist leader was killed did the families of those who died in the 9/11 attacks get a feeling that the battle was over. Whatever the law might say –ultimately the desire for revenge is probably one of our most primordial feelings . And indeed, in India, the list of crimes for which we would like to “hang” our criminals might be set to rise if we listen to some politicians. For instance—-rape. Again this is a crime against women. It is committed frequently and usually with the connivance of the police. There is no doubt that this destroys the woman and her identity : but will executing the rapist return the victim’s lost dignity? It might be a conundrum in itself, but the present debate over “hanging” has taken a completely strange twist. The increasing cacophony of protests is not because our conscience does not allow us to take another’s life . The discussion is not , as Amnesty International puts it, over the violation of the right to life as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But rather this sudden desire for mercy has been raised by those who belong either to the same ethnicity or the same state or even the same religion as those about to be executed. It is also interesting that both the crimes ( the killing of Rajiv Gandhi and the attack on Parliament) were political in nature. Is that why the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the present Chief Minister of Kashmir have raised their voices? After all, one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter ——and are they merely addressing their own vote banks? There are eighteen mercy pleas pending with the government and it is inexplicable why these should take so long to be considered? It is a fact that the culprits are being punished even while they languish in jail so shouldn’t a decision be taken as swiftly as possible? The ability of the sarkar to delay every controversial move is evident, but why can’t the government get good legal advice and decide once and for all what has to happen in all these cases? The peculiar thing is that in Afzal Guru’s case it is the same Central government which Omar Abdullah supports that had decided to go ahead with the capital punishment just a few weeks ago. Is this yet another instance of the present disarray within the government? We have just emerged from two weeks of turmoil when the government appeared to be speaking in different voices. Hopefully we are not going to be pushed into another long-drawn controversy. And now Punjab has just joined the queue with a plea for Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar . This had also just been rejected by the Home Ministry. Perhaps as Amnesty International has been requesting , a time has come to abolish the whole system of these executions.—-with over 30 countries having done away with capital punishment in the last ten years. But approximately 67 countries still adhere to it, including India. Is there no possibility of the government converting capital punishment to life imprisonment in genuinely extenuating circumstances? Or, as my Dilli-wali friend has pointed out— are we going to remain a country where hangings are the norm. And are these important issues only going to be tweeted for political point-scoring —-with no long term policy in mind? |
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On the record by
Tina Ambani, Chairperson of Harmony Art Foundation and Harmony for Silvers Foundation, has been organising the annual Harmony Art shows for the past 16 years. The exhibition has given a platform to a wide range of artists and Harmony has showcased the work of nearly 1,600 artists so far. Besides, the foundations are engaged in spreading greater awareness of art, promoting academic activities including workshops and bringing out well-researched publications and promoting international collaborations. Last year, Harmony Art Foundation was commissioned to do art-work for the Delhi Airport Metro. This is a rarity in a country starved of public-art. Do we expect more? Public art is an intrinsic part of the greatest cities of the world and it is time for Indian cities to follow suit. This cannot be an individual effort; it requires all stakeholders— government, civil society, citizens—to come together to make this happen. For our part, the Delhi Metro was a milestone in taking our engagement with art to the next level. We would be happy to undertake such initiatives as and when we get the opportunity. We are already doing art for the first phase of the Mumbai Metro. What made you establish Harmony Art Foundation? Today, everyone speaks about the potential of Indian art—we recognised this potential a long time ago and realised that there was a need to evoke greater public interest in art. Our curatorial vision has recognised the potential of some of the most promising Indian artists to have emerged in the past decade. The creation of Harmony Art Foundation was a natural progression from the annual Harmony shows. We wanted to broaden and deepen our institutional engagement with art and artists beyond a one-time annual billet. Hence, we created a round-the-year platform to create keener awareness and sensitivity towards the whole gamut of art practices in India. For instance, we have held two international residencies hosting artists and sculptors from across the world at Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai. Here, we provided an array of facilities and infrastructure on site, including smiths, cutters, fitters, fabricators and carpenters. In 2008, when the markets were encouraging, we took 10 young upcoming artists to Christie’s in London to showcase them on an international stage. All works were sold and the event helped draw attention to the promising talent in India as well as the efforts of Harmony Art Foundation. And of course, we have already discussed the Delhi Metro project. How do you see traditional arts like miniature and portraiture ? One doesn’t see much happening in these genres. Personally, I have always been captivated by the exquisite detail and vivid rendering evident in these genres. And though one may not—on the face of it—see much happening in these genres, they continue to exert a powerful influence on our artscape. Today, there are plenty of artists who are guided by the themes of the past and are using the materials of the present as the tools of their craft. We showcased their work in Harmony Art Show 2009, which was a salute to miniature as legacy. The miniature tradition also continues to inspire contemporary creative inquiry. In Harmony Art Show 2011 on the theme ‘New Narratives in the Art of the Miniature’, the artists we featured continue to be guided by the precision and skill required by the miniature tradition. However, they used media as diverse as drawing, painting and sculpture to comics and even computer-generated storyboards to make powerful statements on the world today. You are on the Board of Trustees of the prestigious Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, which houses rare Indian art treasures from the 1600s. Can we foresee a travelling show of this treasure and other Indian art shows ? The Peabody collection is indeed magnificent. However, there is a major problem with cumbersome processes for bringing art to India for a show. There are myriad legalities, bureaucratic tangles and red tape as well as insurance problems. Such an endeavour needs to be undertaken in tandem with the government. For its part, the government needs to be open to these initiatives. Today, our artists have become global but policies and processes are yet to catch up. Do you expect Indian art to grow on the back of the high growth rate of the economy? There is a lot more awareness and interest in art than ever before, but I cannot pinpoint whether it is commercially driven or aesthetically motivated. While aesthetic appeal is a powerful motivation, art cannot be delinked from the economy either. Buyer interest is actually a very individual response that depends on the person’s economic situation as well as priorities at a particular time. Does it not surprise you that while most corporate houses have opened management schools, none has thought of opening a college/ university exclusively for art ? Any college or university is an extremely capital-intensive project. And priorities are different in our country with ‘education’ always being the primary focus. Our definition of education is very narrow. We are still not evolved enough to see art as education although we have one of the richest artistic legacies in the world.
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PROFILE Mumbai-born Nasreen Munni Kabir has a fascination for conversations. She has not only authored several books of dialogue from Indian films like Mother India, Mughal-e-Azam and Awara but even her biographies of Lata Mangeshkar and A.R. Rahman follow the Q & A format. In 2005 she produced two documentaries on the ‘inner world’ and the ‘outer world’ of Shah Rukh Khan and followed the star on a tour through the US to explain his appeal. While children and teenagers from NRI families adore and follow Britney Spears and Tom Cruise, they related more to Shah Rukh. Lamenting the fact that there is not a single filmed interview of Mehboob Khan, who died in 1964, Kabir firmly believes in archiving documents and dialogues for posterity. Shakespeare’s plays are still read, she argues, because they were available in book form. Her latest offering, an official biography of A.R. Rahman titled ‘ A R Rahman—The Spirit of Music’ has also created a buzz. She first broached the subject with Rahman eight years ago, she recalls, and took long walks with him in Regent Park, London before the maestro wilted and gave his consent. It then took her three more years to produce the work. Conversations were carried out through video conferencing and extended interview sessions in Mumbai and London. Kabir did her M.A. in Film Studies in Paris. She curated major festivals of Indian cinema between 1983 and 1985 at the Pompidou Centre and now works as an independent television producer and director in London. She has directed several documentary films including “In search of Guru Dutt” for Channel 4 Television, UK. |
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