Skip to content Skip to navigation

Torch of conscience: Bhaichung Bhutia’s sympathy with Tibetans demands respect

As the world wakes up to the call of letter ‘T’, the letter ‘B’ in India has electrified a fresh worrying factor to the People’s Republic of China. Well, it’s a marriage of between ‘T’ and ‘B’ round the clock, inflaming the headlines of newspapers and most news channels for the last couple of weeks. What is this 'B' factor?

Come, April 17, filmi celebrities Amir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and former 400m runner Milkha Singh and master-bluster Sachin Tendulkar will definitely be part of the Olympic torch relay squads. But the country will miss its biggest soccer superstar Bhaichung Bhutia. But why?

Bhutia’s gesture “of standing by the people of Tibet and their struggle” is nothing; but a straight shot at the right time for the right cause, needs to be appreciated. He is all set not to be part of the Olympic torch relay. His decision to boycott the Olympic torch relay though completely surprised the Indian sports fraternity has walked an extra-mile practising the Biblical version ‘love thy neighbours’ -to sympathize with his distant suffering brethren. Some may called it a mix of sports with politics. Whatever the comments made by different personalities be, though disappointing quite a few political heroes, the fact is ‘tricks of sports’ can be turned into a ‘good cause-politics’ if situation demands.

Violation of human rights in the tiny Himalayan Kingdom, does not need political justification from the Chines govt. , though it requires political solution. Let me agree with. The much talked-about hurly-burly Bhutia politics is not a fancy dress competition. There is something beyond that requires a deeper human reflection and recognition. His refusal to carry the Olympic torch comes from his consciousness and his ambiguous stand on the issue is to show the world that “what is happening in Tibet is not right” that cannot be neglected. No argument please. He has every right do it and harping a negative comment on his stand will go against the fundaments right of our constitution.

Despite the fact, the country’s failure to response positively to the people of Tibet is something ridiculous and treating Dalai Lama as a special guest, denying the principles he stands for, 'is' but a laughing-stock political gimmik. It’s a second downfall of India’s foreign policy. After showing desperate failure to support the democratic movement in Myanmar, once again the aroma of India’s politics is being tasted by the dragon politics. Lack of political consensus on the Tibet issue, putting their political interests above national interests is equivalent to no politics. Rather succumbing to Beijing politics, our government should find the truth from facts. Whatever the position of the Chinese government on Tibet be– a strong and powerful China will always remain a potential threat to India. A great danger, indeed our government should acknowledge with no doubt.

If India is home to the philosophy of ‘non-violence’, then truly, Bhaichung Bhutia’s stands on recent fierce crackdown in Lasha seems logical. No doubt, India has the responsibility towards its neigbhours. Mindless assertions of Tibet being an integral part China is not reasonable, but dozing the eternal burning fire of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology of non-violence and surrendering to the Chinese hegemony and accepting the cultural genocide in the Himalayan Kingdom.

Any human action that is fuelled by belief and consciousness is a welcome move for some, while a dead blow to others. As the saying goes ‘every coin has two sides’, every opportunity too has two faces, sure - either you accept or just deny it. No doubt, our soccer star Baichung Bhutia has turned the rare opportunity into another opportunity for a cause, close to his heart.

The world would be a poorer place indieed, if people of courage like Bhaichung Bhutia does not make symbolic gestures for freedom and justice. When David’s soldier saw Goliath, they all said, ‘he is so big we cann’t kill him, but David said, ‘he is so big I cann't miss him’. Yes, it’s equally true for soccer star Bhaichung Bhutia too. Why should we doubt about Bhaichung Bhutia’s stand on Tibet?
Author info

Monjib Mochahari's picture

Comments

Dudley's picture

Hats off to Baichung Bhutia for not participating in the Olympic torch ceremony. It is about time Tibetans get all the support they need.China claims that Aruachal Pradesh is part of China but in reality Arunachal Pradesh is part of India and borders Tibet and not China.

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

Kidney Day observed at Dispur Hospital

11 Mar 2016 - 9:16am | AT Political Bureau
Assam's well known Dispur Hospital marked the World Kidney Day on 10 March with various activities including a free kidney check-up camp for common people. Over hundred people arrived at the hospital...

Tezpur gears up for polls

6 Apr 2014 - 2:40pm | AT News
A massive security arrangement is in place in Tezpur which goes to the Lok Sabha polls in the first phase on Monday.The voting will take from 7 in the morning at 1,763 booths to decide on the fate of...

Aryabhatta Science Centre,Kalaigaon organizes science-based competitions

18 Oct 2009 - 4:25am | Jayanta Kumar Das
Aryabhatta Science Centre, Kalaigaon in association with ASTEC (Assam Science Technology...

After the blast: an irrate mob tearing Congress posters

31 Oct 2008 - 2:56am | Ranjan K Baruah
As the blas took place, a section of agitated people spared no time in prowling over the Congress banners and festoons in the city areas in protest against the failure of the Congress-led government...

Other Contents by Author

Situation in Udalguri district, Assam is taking a different turn following arrest of an alleged child lifter (Hopadhara) in Udalguri on Friday. According to an inconclusive ground report, three of the accused, all from Udalguri town area, were trying to take away children from Kapurpara area which is two kilometres away from Udalguri town. They were chased and one of them was caught near the energy station in Golma Chowk, about less than half a kilometre from the Udalguri police station. The new Bolero, in which they were travelling, was set ablaze by the furious mob. The accused was taken away by police and admitted to Udalguri Civil Hospital for minor injuries. While two of the suspect...
Continuing violence against infants, girls and women are being reported on a daily basis makes me feel that India is suffering from female-hatred mania. In the last couple of months cases of rapes and assault have made it to the headlines with alarming frequency. In another shameful incidence, under the Meera Road police, Mumbai, on March 18, a father was arrested for allegedly raping his two daughters on the advice of a ‘tantrik' in an attempt to become rich for ten years. Shocking enough is the fact that mother was also a part of the crime. He first raped his elder daughter, now 23-year when she was just ten years old and continued for ten years. According to the sources, father was...
Their face is their fortune. Lipsticks and powder are their regular items. Their ill-fitted blouses and colourful saris make them awesomely beautiful as they walk the streets for their livelihood. It’s estimated, India has 1.2 million eunuchs (transgenders). Yet, even after sixty years of India’s independence, no official data has ever been made to estimate the actual existence of eunuchs so far. Of this ninety-nine percent of eunuchs are either illiterate or semi-literate, having no source of income, except begging. Nearly 90% of Indian eunuchs live in poverty in grief condition. Their survival is through begging, entertaining in marriages/parties, blessing newly born child,...
He would have saved many lives. He would certainly have given smiles to the sufferings. But it’s very unfortunate, on Sunday evening; Amann Kuchroo, 19 a first year medical students in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda, Himachal Pradesh was allegedly ragged to death by four seniors students. It’s deeply inconsolable to the Amann’s family that they lost their only son in such an inhuman manner. In the west it’s the frequent campus shoot-outs, whereas in India, it’s certainly the ceremonial and criminal raggings in academic institutions that turn students’ lives into nightmare. Though ragging has been strictly banned in some colleges and...
714 MILLION Voters will decide the fate of the formation of the next govt. Will loud election campaigns in the streets be a history? Surprisingly, the net-bug has bitten several politicians in the country. Campaigning for the forthcoming parliamentary polls, this time, is not just confined to streets, hoardings and loudspeakers. Quite a handful of politicians switching over to new media such as e-mail, webcasts, SMS, MMS, blogs, social networking sites to woo the largest possible voters, especially the younger lot in a quickest manner. In India more than 45 million people have access to Internet and of this 57 percent are aged between 18 to 35 years. For, NDA’s Prime Ministerial...
After series of terror strikes, which claimed more than 150 lives last year, the mysterious killing of at least seven people the last week of February has engulfed Guwahati city in fear and anxiety. The people who are in panic suspect it to be a serial killer. The target of the serial killer is so far the homeless pavement dwellers, beggars and daily labourers. The first incident of such type of killing was reported in the first week of January when a labourer was found dead in Fancy Bazaar in Guwahati. The series of killing indicates that all the victims have been attacked the same way and all of them were pavement dwellers and beggars. In all these attacks the modus operandi has been the...
It’s a matter of shame for the whole nation, the New York based antiquarian would be auctioning Gandhi’s belongings– a watch, a pair of sandals, a plate, bowl and a pair of glasses. It’s too precious for India too loose its national property. The debate that has been going on since the last few weeks has come to an end. According to reports, the government earlier thought it would be unethical affairs to partake in the auction of Mahatma Gandhi’s belongings, as it will encourage more people to come with such proposals in the future. To avoid this, the government made an appeal to the public to buy Gandhi’s belongings at the auction and hand it over to...
Analytically, it is useful to look at Tuesday’s murderous terror attack on Sri Lankan cricketers near the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore in broad ways. First, the players were attacked attack because, the jihadi elements in Pakistan seem to have close proximity with the Sri Lankan LTTLE, who are now fighting a loosing battle against the paramilitary forces. Of late, it’s known that large arms and ammunitions of Sri Lankan Army come from Pakistan. Sympathetically, the terrorists have taken this opportunity to put full stop in Pakistan’ foreign relations with the Sri Lanka government. Second, the terrorist target of a visiting cricket team was basically intended to...
It sounds stupid.It’s usually believed that teachers cannot be killer. It’s a fact, of course, requires no explanation. They are expected to be the architect of students’ fortune. Yet, it’s arguable that there is an overall increase in the frequency of cases teachers turning aggressive against own students. Of late, a physical training teacher of a private school in Amritsar mercilessly beat up a class nine student Amandeep fracturing his arm, for not wearing his turban to school. Worst still, the recent gruesome acts of violence against school children; a 35-year-old school teacher of a private in Ghaziabad murdered a class 7 student by slitting his throat. It...
As the nation is drawing closer to Lok Sabha polls, the BJP’s Prime Ministerial squad Mr. L.K. Advani, all of a sudden has become a tech-savvy. He is a virtual man at the moment. He is seen everywhere. He is in the newspaper, in the television, in the web and above all he is in the field, it seems as if the messiah has come for the common people. The man who is widely known for a different reason in the past, has he really become changed man? Or is it an Obama effect that is haunting him? Or has he learnt anything form Narendra Modi who did the same? It’s really amazing, a smiling face with a message “welcome to the website of Shri L.K. Advani”. If you happen to...