On May 23, 1951, the Chinese government forcibly pushed its 17-point agenda on Tibet and also forcibly signed with the then Tibetan authorities.
According to this agenda, there should be no interference with the position of the Dalai Lama and Tibetans should maintain their own language and culture.
Both China and Tibet had previously developed a shared plan, but the Chinese government rejected it and imposed its own agenda on Tibet. After arriving in India on April 18, 1959, the Dalai Lama flatly rejected the Chinese goal.
May 23 became recognised as a Black Day for the Tibetan community after that.
The Dalai Lama came in Buddhist Gaya in 1956 as the keynote guest during an event commemorating Buddha Purnima. He spoke with then-Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during this time and criticised China’s agenda pushed on Tibet. Pandit Nehru advised the Dalai Lama to speak with the Chinese administration about the situation. However, the Chinese government refused to back down from its resolve to follow the 17-point programme, forcing the Dalai Lama to flee Tibet and travel to India.
Tibet gained independence on February 13, 1913. The Dalai Lama issued the ‘Proclamation of Independence’ declaring Tibetan independence. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Richard Gere, and Russell Brand backed the ‘Free Tibet’ movement.
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