National
As Tibet Bill advances closer to becoming law in US, lawmakers to meet Dalai Lama
Dharamsala, June 18 (IANS) As the Resolve Tibet Bill advances closer to becoming law to enhance American support for Tibet, a high-level US congressional delegation, led by Michael McCaul, is reaching this Himachal Pradesh hill town on Tuesday to meet Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and interact with representatives of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan government in exile.
CTA believes the significant meeting highlights bipartisan US support for Tibetan autonomy and promotes dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama’s envoys.
The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in March 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, believes in a ‘middle-way’ approach, meaning greater autonomy for Tibet rather than outright independence. The 88-year-old Tibetan monk lives in exile in McLeodganj, a small and quaint hill station on the suburbs of Dharamsala in the northern Indian Himalayas.
US lawmakers last week passed a bipartisan bill to enhance support for Tibet and promote dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama towards a peaceful resolution of the long-standing dispute between Tibet and China. It now goes to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it into law.
The visiting lawmakers, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, will have an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, on Wednesday morning, a CTA spokesperson said on Tuesday.
CTA officials believe the Resolve Tibet Act, once signed, is a powerful reaffirmation of the United States’ steadfast commitment to the people of Tibet.
Visiting House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman McCaul is an original sponsor of the bill.
Supporting the bill, McCaul had said, “The United States has never accepted that Tibet was part of China since ancient times as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) falsely claims. This legislation clarifies US policy and highlights the unique language, religion, and culture of the Tibetan people. It directs US diplomacy to push back against CCP propaganda. In addition, it ensures Tibetans have a say in their own future.”
“This bill stresses the need for dialogue between the CCP and other democratically elected leaders of Tibet. Any resolution must include the wishes and voice of the Tibetan people…Passing this bill demonstrates America’s resolve that the CCP’s status quo in Tibet is not acceptable and I can think of no greater message or gift to the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet than the swift passage of this bill to get to the President’s desk as soon as possible to help put the people of Tibet in charge of their own future,” he said.
The US delegation visit comes two days ahead of a planned trip by the Dalai Lama to the US to undergo medical treatment for his knees. However, his office told IANS there will be no public engagement, including public audiences, of His Holiness during the visit.
En route to the US, the 14th Dalai Lama will briefly halt in Zurich, Switzerland on June 22.
As per the schedule, the visiting delegation will be briefed on the evolution, composition, and functioning of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile.
The previous crucial meeting of the spiritual leader with the US high-level delegation led by Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Under Secretary Uzra Zeya was held here on May 18, 2022.
That was the sixth visitation of the successive Special Coordinators to Dharamsala.
As per the CTA, in January 2000 Assistant Secretary Julia Taft became the first Special Coordinator to visit Dharamsala. In November 2006, Undersecretary Paula J. Dobriansky visited. In 2009, Undersecretary Maria Otero (then designated to serve as Special Coordinator), accompanied Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, on a trip to Dharamsala.
Undersecretary Sarah Sewall visited Dharamsala in 2014 and 2016.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)
–IANS
vg/uk
National
Defence Ministry: Year 2025 will be year of reforms
On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry announced that 2025 will be designated as the “Year of Reforms,” with a primary focus on establishing integrated theatre commands to enhance collaboration among the three branches of the military.
These reforms are aimed at transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations, the ministry stated.
The initiative will emphasize emerging domains such as cyber and space, alongside cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics, and robotics.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the “Year of Reforms” as a pivotal milestone in the modernization of the armed forces.
“It will set the stage for significant advancements in the nation’s defense capabilities, ensuring the security and sovereignty of India in the face of 21st-century challenges,” he said.
National
A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning
A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning, according to the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR).
The district administration reported no casualties or property damage following the quake.
The tremor occurred at 10:24 am, with its epicenter located 23 kilometers north-northeast (NNE) of Bhachau, as per the Gandhinagar-based ISR.
Last month, the region experienced four seismic events exceeding a magnitude of 3, including a 3.2 magnitude tremor just three days ago, with its epicenter also near Bhachau.
Earlier tremors in the area included a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on December 23 and a 3.2 magnitude event on December 7, according to ISR reports.
Kutch was also jolted by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake on November 18, 2024. On November 15, a 4.2 magnitude quake hit Patan in north Gujarat, based on ISR data.
Gujarat is considered a high-risk earthquake zone, having experienced nine major earthquakes over the past 200 years, according to the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA). The 2001 earthquake in Kutch, which occurred on January 26, was the third-largest and second-most destructive in India in the last two centuries, according to the GSDMA.
National
Diljit Dosanjh faces legal action over concert songs
Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh’s much-anticipated New Year’s Eve concert in Ludhiana faced legal hurdles after a complaint was filed by Punditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor from Chandigarh.
Following the complaint, the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department, Government of Punjab, issued a formal notice to Ludhiana’s District Commissioner, urging them to prohibit Dosanjh from performing specific songs during his live show on December 31, 2024.
The notice specifically targets songs accused of promoting alcohol, including Patiala Peg, 5 Tara Theke, and Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya), even if the lyrics are slightly modified. The complaint points to previous warnings issued to Dosanjh by various commissions advising against performing these controversial tracks.
Despite these warnings, the singer allegedly continues to perform the songs with minor alterations. Dharenavar raised serious concerns about the influence of such music on young audiences, especially when minors are present at live events.
Adding to the controversy, Dharenavar referenced a 2019 Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling, which directed law enforcement to ensure that songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence are not played at public events, including concerts. This ruling underscores the legal basis for the complaint and has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding the event.
National
UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured
Five people sustained injuries when a vehicle in the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad overturned into a ditch near Januan village in the Khejuri Police Station area of Ballia district late last night.
Sanjay Nishad shared details of the incident, stating that the accident injured five party workers, including four women.
“I was traveling with the convoy to participate in the Constitutional Rights Yatra organized by the party on Tuesday night. Near Januan village in the Khejuri area, one of the vehicles following the convoy lost control while trying to avoid an animal and overturned into a ditch,” Nishad explained.
The injured individuals have been identified as Rakesh Nishad, Ramrati, Usha, Geeta, and Iravati Nishad.
Senior police and administrative officials quickly arrived at the scene following the incident to oversee the situation.
National
Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder
The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher found dead after accusing the company of copyright violations, has alleged that her son was “murdered” and called for a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe.
Poornima Rao, Suchir’s mother, claimed her son’s death was a “cold-blooded murder” that authorities wrongly ruled as suicide. She further disclosed that a private autopsy report conflicted with the findings of the initial police investigation.
Rao alleged that her son’s apartment had been “ransacked” and cited evidence of a struggle in the bathroom, including bloodstains that suggested he had been assaulted.
“We hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy to uncover the truth. The private autopsy does not confirm the cause of death stated by the police. Suchir’s apartment was ransacked, there were signs of a struggle in the bathroom, and it appears he was hit based on blood spots. This is a cold-blooded murder being misclassified as a suicide. Lobbying in San Francisco won’t deter us from seeking justice. We demand an FBI investigation,” Rao wrote on X.
Elon Musk reacted to Rao’s post, commenting, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”
Balaji was discovered dead in his San Francisco apartment months after accusing OpenAI of violating copyright laws during the development of ChatGPT, as reported by Fox News. Despite these claims, the San Francisco Police Department found no evidence of foul play and ruled the death a suicide.
On October 24, shortly before his death, Balaji voiced doubts about the “fair use” defense in generative artificial intelligence. “I recently participated in a NYT story about fair use and generative AI, and why I’m skeptical ‘fair use’ would be a plausible defense for a lot of generative AI products,” he wrote on X.
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