At least 10 Tibetans were detained on Tuesday, including 4 right outside the high-security Hyderabad House where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao, as Tibetan activists held rallies and burnt effigies here in protest.
Four Tibetan activists were detained outside the Hyderabad House when they made a sudden appearance there. Holding their 'national flag' and raising anti-China slogans, the activists of the Tibetan Youth Congress reached the venue on the India Gate circle, taking a large number of police personnel deployed there by surprise.
Security personnel swung into action immediately and caught hold of the activists and whisked them away in police vehicles. Police also took 6 Tibetans into preventive custody on the Kasturba Gandhi Marg on Tuesday morning while they were moving towards the Hyderabad House.
Hundreds of Tibetans along with Buddhist monks dressed in maroon and yellow robes, many of whom have come all the way from Dharamsala -- the seat of Tibetan government in exile -- took out a march to protest Hu's visit.
They began the march from Jantar Mantar, but were not allowed to proceed further. The protestors had a minor scuffle with police as they were stopped from burning the Chinese President's effigy. The activists shouted slogans against China for its 'occupation of Tibet,' burnt Hu's effigy, unfurled the Tibetan flag and sang their 'national anthem.'
A huge posse of police personnel, including contingents of the Rapid Action Force and paramilitary forces, were deployed at Jantar Mantar and outside the Hyderabad House to ensure that no protests take place.
The rally was taken out by 6 non-governmental organisations -- Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibet Women Association, Guchusun, Students for Free Tibet, Friends of Tibet and National Democratic Party of Tibet. Several Dalai Lama supporters and monks from Dharamshala also participated in the rally.
"We have submitted a memorandum at Prime Minister's Office and at Chinese Embassy to oppose the Chinese policies against Tibet," said Ladhom Tethong, Executive Director of Students for Free Tibetians at Dharamshala.
She claimed that some of the Indian parliamentarians have also come forward in their support and they have assured us to raise this matter during the Winter Session starting from Wednesday.
"The members of Tibetan Youth Congress have been sitting on hunger strike from Monday as a mark of our protest. Tibetans in Mumbai and Agra will hold similar protests during Jintao's visit at these places," said Tenzin Palkyi a member of Tibet Women Association.
Three TYC activists were detained on Monday night in Dhaula Kuan when they came out on the road shouting anti-China slogans minutes after Hu's cavalcade from the airport passed through the area. Tibetan groups in the capital have been staging candle light vigils and demonstrations besides sitting on a hunger strike to protest the maiden visit of the Chinese President.