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Those Who Never Made it Back Home: A Somber Canada Day

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Today is Canada Day, and the nation reflects on some harsh truths. On May 27, 2021 the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the discovery of a mass grave with the remains of 215 Indigenous children in Kamloops British Columbia at the site of what used to be the largest Indigenous residential school. Last week the remains of 751 bodies, mostly of children, were discovered at the Marieval Indian Residential School site in Saskatchewan, where the Cowessess First Nation is located. Yesterday, the Lower Kootenay Band said that it found the remains of 182 people near the grounds of the former St. Eugene’s Mission Residential School near Cranbrook in BC.

Between 1883 and 1996, over 150, 000 Indigenous children were forcibly sent to residential schools, many of which were operated by the Roman Catholic Church. A large number of Indigenous children never returned to their homes. In its report in 2012, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada said, “We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.”

To date the Catholic Church has not issued an apology. After the discovery of the burial site in Kamloops, Pope Francis had tweeted, “I join the Canadian Bishops and the whole Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my closeness to the Canadian people, who have been traumatised by shocking discovery of the remains of two hundred and fifteen children, pupils at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. These difficult times are a strong call for everyone to turn away from the colonial model and walk side by side in dialogue, mutual respect and recognition of the rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada.”

In his Canada Day message, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged that “for some, Canada Day is not yet a day of celebration.”

“The horrific findings of the remains of hundreds of children at the sites of former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan have rightfully pressed us to reflect on our country’s historical failures, and the injustices that still exist for Indigenous peoples and many others in Canada. We as Canadians must be honest with ourselves about our past. And we must recognize that here in Canada there are still people who don’t feel safe walking the streets of their communities, who still don’t have the same opportunities as others, and who still face discrimination or systemic racism in their daily lives.

“While we can’t change the past, we must be resolute in confronting these truths in order to chart a new and better path forward. Together, we have a long way to go to make things right with Indigenous peoples. But if we all pledge to do the work – and if we lead with those core values of hard work, kindness, resilience, and respect – we can achieve reconciliation and build a better Canada for everyone.

Canada’s Ambassador to the US, Kirsten Hillman

Wearing orange to commemorate the children whose lives were lost as a result of mistreatment at residential schools, Canada’s Ambassador to the US Kirsten Hillman said, “Canada is a country that came into being without the meaningful participation of those who lived here first.”

“On this Canada Day, I encourage each of you to make a commitment to learn more about the Indigenous communities around you. Discover Indigenous culture. Educate yourself on the painful era of residential schools. Engage in meaningful discussions about our history and our past. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report is an excellent place to start and serves as a testament to the courage of each and every survivor and family member who shared their story. We must unreservedly address historical and ongoing wrongs so we can build a better future.”

In 2015, PM Trudeau promised to implement all 94 of the TRC’s calls to action. So far, 13 have been implemented and 60 are in progress. There has been no progress yet on call to action #75 which instructs the federal government to work with “provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children.”

With the recent discovery of these unmarked mass graves, and the work that remains to be done on the TRC’s calls to action, this is a very somber Canada Day indeed.

As we reflect on the tragedy of the innocent lives lost, we also remember the 86 Canadian children (among 329 passengers and crew) who lost their lives when Air India flight 182 exploded over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985. 82 of the children were under the age of 13, their lives cut short by the worst terror attack in Canadian history.

Initially the Canadian government treated it as an Indian tragedy, with the then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney speaking to Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to condole “India’s loss”. It was not until 2005 that Canada declared the anniversary of the bombing a national day of mourning. Observing the 20th anniversary of the bombing, Prime Minister Paul Martin acknowledged, “Make no mistake: The flight may have been Air India’s, it may have taken place off the coast of Ireland, but this is a Canadian tragedy.” In 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced an independent judicial inquiry into the Air India bombing led by former Supreme Court Justice John C. Major. His report – released on 17 June 2010 – concluded that a “cascading series of errors” by the Canadian government, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had allowed the terrorist attack to take place.

Pakistan Remains on FATF’s Grey List: Two Action Plans Need to Be Completed Before its Status Is Reassessed

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Washington, DC: The global terrorist hub of Pakistan continues to remain on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list with one item yet to be addressed on the original action plan from June 2018. Pakistan also has to address an additional six items on an action plan assigned by FATF’s regional partner, the Asia Pacific Group (APG). Although Islamabad avoided getting blacklisted, it cannot be delisted unless both action plans are completed.

FATF President Dr. Marcus Pleyer, in a virtual press conference on June 25, noted that Pakistan had yet to address an item on the original action plan on financial terrorism relating to the “investigations and prosecutions of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups”.

In its 2019 Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) on Pakistan, APG had identified additional deficiencies related to money laundering. This action plan requires Pakistan to continue to work to address its strategically important AML/CFT deficiencies, by:
(1) enhancing international cooperation by amending the MLA law;
(2) demonstrating that assistance is being sought from foreign countries in implementing UNSCR 1373 designations;
(3) demonstrating that supervisors are conducting both on-site and off-site supervision commensurate with specific risks associated with DNFBPs, including applying appropriate sanctions where necessary;
(4) demonstrating that proportionate and dissuasive sanctions are applied consistently to all legal persons and legal arrangements for non-compliance with beneficial ownership requirements;
(5) demonstrating an increase in ML investigations and prosecutions and that proceeds of crime continue to be restrained and confiscated in line with Pakistan’s risk profile, including working with foreign counterparts to trace, freeze, and confiscate assets; and
(6) demonstrating that DNFBPs are being monitored for compliance with proliferation financing requirements and that sanctions are being imposed for non-compliance.

Dr. Pleyer added, “So the delisting will not occur before both action plans are completed and two onsite [assessments] have been granted and successfully completed and have shown that the improvements are sustainable before the FATF members decide on delisting.”

Recent events in Pakistan, however, point to Islamabad’s continued support of terrorism. A three-member bench of Pakistan’s supreme court headed by Justice Mushir Alam, had acquitted Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, who is accused of beheading US journalist Daniel Pearl. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has referred to Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi refused to condemn bin Laden.

The next FATF plenary is scheduled for October 2021.

Biden Pledges 500 Million Doses of the Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine to Developing Nations

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Cornwall, United Kingdom – President Biden on Thursday announced that the United States will purchase half a billion doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer coronavirus vaccine which will be donated to 100 low- and lower-middle-income countries, “that are in dire need in the fight against this pandemic.”

Biden made the remarks after his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the G7 Summit in Cornwall.

Biden said that two hundred million of these doses will be delivered starting in August this year, and 300 million more will be delivered in the first half of 2022. This is in addition to the 80 million excess doses of COVID-19 vaccines that are to be distributed by the end of June.

“Let me be clear: Just as with the 80 million doses we previously announced, the United States is providing these half million [billion] doses with no strings attached,” added Biden.

“We have supported manufacturing efforts abroad through our partnerships with Japan, India, and Australia — known as the “Quad.” We’ve shared doses with our neighbors Canada and Mexico,” said Biden.

“And from the beginning of my presidency, we have been clear-eyed that we need to attack this virus globally as well. This is about our responsibility — our humanitarian obligation to save as many lives as we can — and our responsibility to our values.”

Biden emphasized the United States commitment to strengthen global health , adding that “in this moment, our values call on us to do everything that we can to vaccinate the world against COVID-19.”

Commenting that the US is not alone in this effort, Biden said that under the UK chairmanship, G7 democracies of the world are ready to deliver as well. There will be an announcement tomorrow by the G7 nations on the COVID-19 vaccination program and the effort to defeat COVID-19 globally.

Au Revoir, Editor

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Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost

The above lines were oft-quoted by Tejinder Singh, Founder and Editor of India America Today. He was born and brought up in the industrial town of Kharagpur, in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. Tejinder initially studied civil engineering at the elite Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kharagpur, but journalism was his passion. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Osmania University, India.

A veteran multimedia political and business journalist, Tejinder lived in India, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, and Belgium, and was fluent in six languages.

Tejinder worked as EU Correspondent for APM Health Europe, and as a broadcast journalist with the BBC, South African Broadcasting Corp., and Flemish-English and Indian networks. He was the editor-in-chief for New Europe, The European Weekly, based in the EU capital of Brussels, Belgium from 1997 – 2009.

Tejinder moved to the United States in 2009, and founded India America Today in 2012. He was a White House, Pentagon and State Department Correspondent.

Tejinder was the National Press Club’s Chair of the Newsmakers Committee in 2010. He also served on the Broadcast Committee and the International Correspondents Committee. He served as vice president for print of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) from 2011-2012.

To those of us he worked with he was Tito, Teji, Tej. I have worked side by side with him at India America Today since 2014. He had a sharp wit, a disarming smile, and could file news stories with amazing speed, sometimes typing articles on his phone to get the news out quickly. Tejinder was unfailingly kind, caring, encouraging, and soft spoken, but wielded a pungent pen.

He is survived by his younger brother, Vikramjit Singh, in India.

Thank you all for the many messages, emails, and phone calls sharing memories of him and expressing condolences. We are including some of the messages here:

“I had many opportunities to interact with him and benefit from his keen intellect and encyclopedic knowledge during my tenure as India’s Ambassador to the US. I found him deeply involved in issues that concerned the welfare and interests of the Indian community in USA. An out of the box thinker, I was often benefitted by the ideas and suggestions he proffered on the issues we dealt with. His passing away leaves a void in the Indian-American media space and in our own hearts.” Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

“Tejinder reported the news with sagacity and skill. He pursued his questions doggedly, and he charmed with his pearly white smile. He made me think. He made me work. And he made me feel privileged to have the opportunity to speak for the U.S. government on the issues that meant so much to his readers. But the thing I will remember most about him was his manner. His dignity. He was a gentleman, through and through. And gentlemen are as rare today as they are important. I will miss that smile. I will miss that gentleman.” John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary.

“Tejinder was a bright light in the State Department briefing room, always there with a smile and an interesting question about whatever the news of the day was. He was incredibly kind and treated everyone else with respect, qualities that are far too rare in Washington. He was so welcoming to my parents when they came to visit, and they kept up with him on social media afterwards. I cannot believe that such a happy soul is no longer with us.” Marie Harf, former State Department Deputy Spokesperson.

“Tejinder covered the State Department for 11 years, participating in many State Department briefings both in person and also calling in every telephonic briefing. We already miss seeing his name in the question queue here today. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues as we grieve his loss. And I speak for my colleagues here when I say that he was such a pleasure to work with for all of us, and his presence will be sorely missed.” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter.

“I wanted to send my condolences for the loss of our colleague Tejinder Singh – he was such a vibrant, warm, and kind person and a true pleasure to work with. We were all saddened to hear the news of his death, which is a huge loss for the State Department press corps. I always enjoyed working with Tejinder; he always sent the most interesting questions, kept us honest in explaining our policies to the public, and of course served an integral role in keeping the Indian-American community informed. I miss him and I’m sending you my warmest thoughts as you and your colleagues grieve his loss.” Grace Chung, Press Officer, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), U.S. Department of State.

Foreign Secretary Shringla Condoles the Passing of Tejinder Singh

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In a message sent to Poonam Sharma, the Managing Editor of India America Today, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla condoled the passing of our Founder and Editor, Tejinder Singh:

I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the untimely demise of my good friend, Tejinder Singh, Editor of the India America Today and White House Correspondent.

A brilliant writer and a wonderful human being, Tejinder worked tirelessly to bring to the readers the nuances and dynamics of the strategic India-US partnership and further strengthen bonds at the people-to-people level.

I had many opportunities to interact with him and benefit from his keen intellect and encyclopedic knowledge during my tenure as India’s Ambassador to the US. I found him deeply involved in issues that concerned the welfare and interests of the Indian community in USA. An out of the box thinker, I was often benefitted by the ideas and suggestions he proffered on the issues we dealt with.

His passing away leaves a void in the Indian-American media space and in our own hearts. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends.

With regards,

हर्ष वर्धन श्रृंगला
Harsh Vardhan Shringla
विदेश सचिव
Foreign Secretary
विदेश मंत्रालय
Ministry of External Affairs
साउथ ब्लॉक, नई दिल्ली
South Block, New Delhi

Harsh Vardhan Shringla assumed charge as the 33rd Foreign Secretary of India on 29 January 2020. In the course of a diplomatic career spanning over 37 years, Foreign Secretary Shringla has held a variety of positions in New Delhi and abroad. He has served as India’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Thailand. He has also served in diplomatic assignments in France; USA (UN, New York); Vietnam; Israel and South Africa.

US Still Contemplating Vaccines for Other Nations

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Washington, DC – The United States is in the planning stage on the decision to send vaccines to other countries, and hence no quantity has been sanctioned for going to India or any other country, according to Jalina Porter, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department.

Answering a question from IAT (Tejinder Singh), Spokesperson Porter told Journalists on Wednesday (May 19) during the daily State Department briefing, “The United States will send 80 million U.S. vaccines to help countries battling the pandemic by the end of June of this year.”

Porter elaborated, “This equates to all that’s manufactured – 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses – as soon as they’re reviewed by the FDA, as well as another 20 million doses that are authorized for use in the United States. We’ll continue to donate from our excess supply as that supply is delivered to us.”

On the allotment to various countries, Porter added, “As far as distribution, we’ll have more to say about how they’re distributing the vaccines in the coming weeks.”

The United States recently advised its citizens to leave India as soon as possible as the country battles a devastating second coronavirus wave.

India has been breaking global records with daily new infections and single-day death tolls. With visual reports of dead bodies floating down the rivers like the Ganges and the Yamuna, the rural population is exponentially affected by the epidemic.

Moreover, the Level 4 “do not travel” advisory, the highest of its kind issued by the Department of State, reflected the severity of the problem in India.

Global Focus: COVID-19, Variants, and Vaccines

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Washington, DC – Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, it has continued to take a toll on the world.

This month India reported the world’s highest increase in coronavirus infections, leading to a shortage of oxygen and hospital space across the nation. The sharp rise in cases has been attributed to super spreader political rallies and religious festivals. Scientists are still examining whether a novel coronavirus variant – containing two key mutations to the spike portion of the virus – is contributing to the surge.

On May 10, the World Health Organization said it was classifying the B.1.617 variant – the Indian coronavirus variant identified last year – as a variant of global concern. According to WHO, the predominant lineage of B.1.617 was first identified in India last December, although a previous version was identified in October 2020.

“We are classifying this as a variant of concern at a global level,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead on COVID-19. “There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility.”

Initial laboratory-based studies of limited sample size indicate that B.1.617 spreads more easily, according to WHO, but more information is required to determine how much of the variant is circulating.

The B.1.617 variant is the fourth variant to be classified as a variant of global concern, necessitating increased analysis and tracking. Other variants include the ones first detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil. According to GISAID, B.1.617 has been reported in 50 countries so far, with over 2000 cases in the UK and more than 700 in the US.

Indian authorities recently approved a locally developed drug (2-deoxy-D-glucose or 2-DG) authorizing its use for treating patients with COVID-19. 2-DG was developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with the pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy’s. The government said it “will be of immense benefit to the people suffering” from Covid-19.

In a press release the Indian government said, “Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.”

However, health experts point to the paucity of clinical trial data on the drug’s performance, casting doubt on its emergency approval as a treatment for COVID.

Currently mRNA vaccines remain the most effective means of preventing severe illness from COVID-19. A new CDC assessment that finds fully vaccinated adults 65 years and older were 94% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people of the same age who were not vaccinated. People 65 and older who were partially vaccinated were 64% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who were not vaccinated.

CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, said, “COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and these real-world findings confirm the benefits seen in clinical trials, preventing hospitalizations among those most vulnerable. The results are promising for our communities and hospitals. As our vaccination efforts continue to expand, COVID-19 patients will not overwhelm health care systems – leaving hospital staff, beds, and services available for people who need them for other medical conditions.”

Where is Tibetan Panchen Lama?

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Camp: New Delhi – April 25, 2021, marks the 32nd birth anniversary of the 11th Panchen Lama Gendun Choekyi Nyima (GCN). The world has as much information or as little as it had when he was abducted by the Chinese authorities in 1995, following his recognition by the Dalai Lama. In 1995 he became the youngest individual to have been placed under virtual detention, becoming known as the world’s youngest political prisoner.

Panchen Lama is one of the most important spiritual leaders, second only to the Dalai Lama in the hierarchy of spiritual leaders in Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama share a warm and friendly relationship and have previously served as mentors and apprentices. They hold the highest decision-making power on the issue of reincarnation, and each had participated in the process of recognizing each other’s reincarnation. If one of them passes away, the other has undertaken the responsibility of searching for the reincarnated soul boy of the other and vice-versa.

The current 11th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, was born on April 25, 1989, in Lhari County, Nagqu Region, Tibet. He was recognized as the 11th Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama, after following the Tibetan Buddhist tradition on May 14, 1995. However, two days later, on May 17, 1995, the GCN was abducted by the Chinese authorities. He has been missing for the last 26 years and is the world’s youngest and longest missing political prisoner. He was just 6 years old when he was abducted. So far, there has been no news about his whereabouts.

After the abduction of the GCN, Chinese authorities appointed its own Panchen Lama named Gyaltsen Norbu (son of members of CCP) in November 1995. This measure not only shows Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) disregard towards Tibetan religion and culture but also shows it effort to undermine the same. Xi Jinping‘s recent proposal of Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism to improve social governance is yet another move of the CCP to sinicise Tibetan religion and culture. As part of the Sinicization effort the CCP, through National People Congress, has endorsed the use of Mandarin Chinese as the medium of instruction in ethnic minority areas and barred the use of local language (inconsistent with the provisions of Chinese laws). Thus, the use of Tibetan language is constantly being discouraged in Tibet and the Mandarin language is being promoted-which is said to increases the probability of fetching good jobs in the markets.

China is also imposing restrictions on Tibetans to travel to other countries, particularly to countries like India, Nepal and Bhutan. In recent times, China has announced strict supervision of 15 border ports in the border areas in the name of strengthening the border control and maintenance of security and stability.

The settlement of Han Chinese in Tibet is another major concern. China has recently proposed the construction of a super dam in its 14th Five Year Plan. It is fear that China’s decision to build super dam on Yarlong Zangbo River, close to LAC, will result in large Chinese migration to the Tibetan regions, thus, further diluting the cultural identity of Tibetans and reducing Tibetans into minority like China did in Inner Mongolia.

China over the years has made full effort to give a bad name to the Dalai Lama. His image has been turned into a “separatist” by the Chinese government. It has banned the photos of the Dalai Lama and possessing his photos is considered as an act of crime. The Chinese authorities maintain strong control over Tibetans and there are reports of many arbitrary arrests of Tibetans’ political activities without any evidence. In a recent report, the Radio Free Asia reported the arrest of six Tibetans for unknown reasons. According to The Tibet Post International a monk named Rinchen Tsultrim from Kahul village in Ngaba arrested in August 2019 was said to have been sentenced to four and half in prison for allegedly communicating outside of Tibet.

Similarly, the CCP has portrayed the Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu as one of the authoritative voices of Tibet while keeping him under strict control. The CCP has also treated the previous 10th Panchen Lama Choekyi Gyaltsen harshly; however, in its historical accounts, their relations were often shown in colorful pictures.

The 10th Panchen Lama Choekyi Gyaltsen is a revered figure among Tibetans. He discovered the CCP’s attempt to repress the Tibetan rule, and he chose to stand by Tibetans. Choekyi Gyaltsen published ‘the seven thousand characters petition’ in 1962, severely criticising the CCP’s policy on Tibet, and was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison. He was rehabilitated only after Deng Xiaoping came to power. Choekyi Gyaltsen rebuilt Tibet’s religious and cultural heritages and worked hard in the interests of Tibetans, for which he gained high prestige among the Tibetans. Therefore, he was assassinated in January 1989 by the Chinese authorities.

At present, the Chinese (fake) Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu, is being projected as an official face of Tibetan Buddhism by the Chinese government. It has already leveraged the position of Gyaltsen Norbu by appointing him to a number of high profile positions, including the Vice-President of the standing committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 2019 he was made the head of the China Buddhist Association.

As far as Gendun Choekyi Nyima is concerned, the 11th Panchen Lama recognized by the Dalai Lama, there has been no credible information at all since 1995. Way back in August 2003, when asked about the Panchen Lama, who was 14 years old then and a mino, a spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, “He is now in a good healthy condition, leading a normal and happy life,” adding, “He is not the incarnated soul boy.”

In 2020, when the Panchen Lama was 31 years old, Chinese state media had the Chinese Foreign Ministry having a similar position, reporting, “this so-called ‘soul boy’ designated by Dalai Lama” is just an ordinary Chinese citizen living normally.” “Soul boy” is a mistranslation used by the Chinese authorities in English to refer to a reincarnated being.

So if the Chinese government considers the Panchen Lama “just an ordinary Chinese citizen,” today he is an adult and past his Age of Majority even under Chinese laws, and should be given all the rights, including to speak for himself. But the fact that the Chinese government continues to speak on his behalf shows that they have taken away his freedom of expression and that he is not “leading a normal and happy life”.

China not giving any credible information about the Panchen Lama’s whereabouts or status has even had several UN experts and working groups write formally to the Chinese government, expressing their concern and asking for an “independent monitor to visit him.”

At the heart of all these things is the issue of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. For years the Chinese government has been grooming its own Panchen Lama. It is most likely that he will play an instrumental role in deciding the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama in China. This will lead to two Dalai Lamas in the future if the current Dalai Lama decides to keep the tradition of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama continues.

The issue of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is not limited to China and the Dalai Lama but has larger geopolitics consideration with security implications in the Himalaya regions.

The US has shown its full support for Tibet on the reincarnation issue. It has, in late 2020, passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act (TPSA) and sent a strong message to China that the US stands steadfast with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan exile government.

The Panchen Lama turned 32 years old on April 25. Tibetans and their supporters all over the world not only celebrate the birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama but also take the occasion to raise their voice to demand the release of the Panchen Lama from the CCP’s captivity.

Howdy Children? Safe?

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Jaipur, India – A young girl studying in seventh standard grabbed a volunteer after a session on safe and unsafe touch and was curious to know what does ‘Rape’ mean? Though there was no mention of ‘Rape’ anywhere during the dialogue with children as part of a massive citizen campaign ‘Sparsh’ (Touch), the innocent girl could relate it to the incidences which have been echoing quite often.

Indian media is replete with stories of gang rapes, brutal murders of minor girls after being raped, dumping of abused children, infants being sexually assaulted, and parents killed or harassed for taking recourse to the law or registering police case against the accused. While I am writing this, in front of me howls front page headlines juxtaposed ‘Father of 8 year Rape survivor Murdered after filing a case against accused’ and ’15 year Girl Raped, Jumped in a Well’. And, there is hardly any day when we don’t read such gruesome stories in some part of the country.

Not all cases invite candlelight marches or angry protests from civil society however. For this the victims need to be qualified for catching their eyeballs or fact finding exercise. Which means only when the victim belongs to a certain caste or religion, or the incident has happened in a state ruled by a certain political party, these organizations designed to hurl their slogans and venom at select few, will make a show, not otherwise. Their selective and professional activism has done harm beyond repair to the very concept of civic movement for social reforms.

India is on top of the list of nations in Child Sexual Abuse Imagery (CSAI) with more than 3.8 million reports originating from India. Internet pornography and abusive videos are considered a major cause of growing intensity of crimes and children are easy targets for sexual predators. India with a child population of approximately 37 percent and about 50 percent of children facing some kind of sexual abuse, we may disbelieve the extent of insensitivity permeating the entire system of justice and getting a close look will only reveal the truth.

Recently, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi suo motu picked the matter of sexual offenses against children on a PIL finding it urgent after it came to his knowledge that between January to July this year (2019) there were 24 thousand cases reported of this nature where first information report was filed by the police but trial was initiated in 6449 cases and only 911 cases could have final disposal. His appeal for ‘zero tolerance’ for such crimes needs serious strategy and speedy actions.

National – International agencies entrusted with the tasks of child safety facilitate dialogue between various stakeholders and present perspectives on the issue. Their job ends there as they all operate in a rigid frame amid bureaucratic complexities. And, despite all these efforts, safe spaces for children are shrinking fast. One of the speakers at one such conference on ‘Violence against Children’ portrayed how child friendly police stations have painted walls with colors and cartoons and created toy zones to catch visual attention. But this has not changed the behavior of police toward children. He suggested that victimized children and their families do not come to the police station to play, but to seek timely punishment for the criminal or seek protection cover from them.

Unfortunately that part is missing in Police system which is trained to deal with crime with all harshness and toughness. Sudden role reversal in case of crime or sexual offenses against children is not as easy as it appears. At one end is hard core criminal procedure and at another are innocent survivor or victim and the whole family to be counseled well, rehabilitated and dealt with extreme care and sensitivity throughout the trial. Experts are suggesting a separate wing of Police trained to deal with crime against children with an altogether different skill set and proper budget allocation.

The UN Commission on Child Care (UNCRC) was assented by Indian in 1992, India is also a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989. India adopted a National Policy for Children in 1974 and the result after 44 years is that children and women are as vulnerable not only outside but within the boundaries of homes and in all institutional setups, schools or child care facilities.

The caste system has also not spared children as is evident from a recent horrific incident in Madhya Pradesh where two children from a certain caste counted as lower in social strata were beaten up to death. Indian Parliament has certainly done good job by giving more teeth to the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act 2012 this year to punish the assaulter rigorously to the extent of death penalty. Society is reactive, media is sensitive and fast track POCSO courts are efficient in passing judgement without losing a day. Still, every 155 minutes, one child under the age of 16 years is abused sexually. Society and law enforcement system needs to take the entire blame.

While National Crime Record Bureau data indicate crime against children is on the rise, the other surveys and observations indicate that 80 percent of the children who face abuse identify the person easily and in approximately 50 percent of the cases, the abuser is someone in close circle of the children being targeted. National Commission on Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is running a 24 hour helpline 1098 offering best of child friendly counseling, hand holding and knowledge based social and legal support to the abused child, but there is hardly any effort on the part of the state agencies to popularize it and make children use it judiciously.

We all have to ask our children if they feel safe, watch their response, remove all scars of abuse if we find any, reassure them about their safety and activate our systems to act fast to keep their innocence intact. Remember, children who have been abused stop loving themselves for their whole life if not taken care of.