Celebrating social emancipation in Tibet

Letters to the Editor - The Hindu
28th March, 2009

I completely agree with Mr. Ram that the Chinese Govt. had brought about many reforms aimed at emancipating the masses of Tibet. Chinese rule has brought modernity and prosperity to that remote region. These reforms would not have been possible under the theocratic rule of the Dalai Lama.
Nevertheless I must also mention that Mr. Ram glosses over the many atrocities that the Communist rulers perpetrated on the Tibetans. The article idolizes Mao Zedong who was responsible for disastrous economic policies like the Great Leap Forward that destroyed traditional means of occupation in Tibet by forcing a majority of the working age population into Steel production and heavy industries thereby pushing Tibet into a famine. Fanatical Red Guards ravaged Tibet by attacking Tibetan cultural practices and religious sites during the Cultural Revolution which was Mao's brainchild. All this caused many bitter feelings in the hearts of Tibetans towards the Govt. in Beijing.
The article would have been more balanced had Mr. Ram mentioned these downsides of Chinese rule in Tibet.

This letter was not published.