A member of the Tibetan community protests against the Chinese government at their refugee colony in Majnu ka Tilla ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, September 8, 2023.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Ahead of the G20 Summit here, the Tibetan Youth Congress Friday held a protest in north Delhi's Majnu ka Tilla against the participation of Chinese delegates in the Summit.
Holding banners and raising anti-China slogans, protesters carried out a “peaceful” demonstration amid heavy personnel deployment, the police said.
Some of the protesters had 'Free Tibet' slogans painted on their faces and bodies.
Tibetan Youth Congress President Gonpo Dhundup said, "This protest is not against India or India hosting the G20 Summit. We are raising these slogans against the Chinese participation in the G20 Summit."
Asserting that the Tibetan community felt honoured that India is hosting the G20 Summit, Dhundup said the demonstration was aimed at raising their voice against the alleged illegal occupation of Tibet by the Chinese government.
"The current situation in Tibet is very critical. We have asked protesters to keep the protest peaceful. Not even a single protester breached any kind of law and order and they were following the rules and regulations of the Delhi Police. Our main motive behind the protest was to deliver the message that China's diplomatic assurance is never to be trusted," he added.
To maintain law and order in the area, a heavy police force and paramilitary personnel were deployed at Majnu ka Tilla, which is a Tibetan settlement here.
As the protest began, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi immediately reached the spot and directed the police personnel to barricade a certain portion of the area, the police said.
"We had received a protest request at our Timarpur Police station from the Tibetan Youth Congress. We had rejected their request in view of the G20 Summit. Later, we received information that protesters would gather. So we chalked out a robust plan," Kalsi said.
He added that even though the summit venue is far away from the protest site and no restrictions are in place at Majnu ka Tilla, a portion of the area was barricaded and the demonstrators were requested to keep their protest peaceful.
"Our focus was to maintain vehicle movement properly. The protest continued for around half an hour, after which they dispersed peacefully and no untoward condition prevailed," DCP Kalsi said.
Ahead of the G20 Summit, security has been beefed up across the national capital, especially in the New Delhi district, with police, paramilitary forces and other agencies maintaining a hawk-eye vigil in the city.