China’s New Ethnic Unity law sparks concerns at Tibet festival in New Delhi

A three-day festival on Tibet’s culture and contemporary realities began in New Delhi amid concerns over China’s recently enacted “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress Law,” which Tibetan leaders say could deepen assimilation policies affecting Tibetans and other ethnic communities.

A three-day festival on Tibet’s culture and contemporary realities began in New Delhi amid concerns over China’s recently enacted “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress Law,” which Tibetan leaders say could deepen assimilation policies affecting Tibetans and other ethnic communities. According to the report by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the festival, titled “Spirit of Tibet: Celebrating Culture and Compassion,” seeks to highlight Tibet’s cultural heritage while fostering greater public understanding of issues concerning the region.

CTA reported that the festival, being held from September 3 to 5 at the India International Centre, opened with prayers led by a Tibetan Buddhist monk at the Gandhi-King Memorial Plaza, followed by an inaugural address by Sikyong Penpa Tsering. Addressing the gathering, Penpa Tsering urged people to remain vigilant about developments in China, particularly the new legislation, which he said appeared inconsistent with commitments under China’s own constitutional and legal framework. “The recently enacted Ethnic Unity Law takes China in precisely the opposite direction. Rather than creating conditions for trust and reconciliation, it institutionalises policies of assimilation under the guise of ‘national unity,’” he said.

According to the report by CTA, the Sikyong maintained that lasting peace and stability could not be achieved through coercion or suppression of cultural, religious and linguistic identities. The inaugural seminar, “Civilisational Confluence, Present Realities, and Strategic Horizons,” brought together experts from strategic affairs, journalism, academia and China studies. The panel included Penpa Tsering, Professor C Raja Mohan and Brigadier Anshuman Narang, with journalist and national security analyst Nitin A Gokhale as chair. The Central Tibetan Administration said the discussions examined Tibet’s civilisational heritage, present-day challenges and its wider strategic significance amid changing geopolitical dynamics.

The festival’s first day also featured speakers including JNU’s Professor Amitabh Mattoo, former National Commission for Minorities chairperson Wajahat Habibullah, actor and author Kabir Bedi, and Ven Geshe Dorji Damdul of Tibet House, Delhi. The Central Tibetan Administration, in collaboration with the Foundation for Non-violent Alternatives and The Tibet Fund, is organising the festival to promote dialogue and deepen awareness of Tibet’s culture, history, spirituality and contemporary realities. (ANI)