DHARAMSALASA: A highly volatile situation prevailed at Dharamsala and McLeodgunj the headquarters of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, as rampaging Mobs of locals, mostly from the Gaddi community, damaged Tibetan buildings, vehicles and attacked Tibetans on April 22, after “local youth was stabbed to death by a Tibetan youth, on Thursday night the 21st.
The situation took a violent tum on Friday. a¢ a mob of about 500 people gathered outside the focal Police station and raised slogans against the Tibetan community and against the failure of the government to remove Tibetans from Dharamsala. The mob was addressed by local MLA Kishan Kapoor.
The local Indian community, particularly Gaddis, fared up after a Gaddi youth, Upenderjit 20, was stabbed to death by a Tibetan Yashi Chhumbe, after a verbal altercation on Thursday evening. Upenderjit who was rushed to hospital after the stabbing succumbed to his injuries. The accused Tibetan was also injured.
The rampaging mobs attacked ‘Tibetan government offices inside the Tibetan secretariat complex, including hospital and library buildings and the residential buildings. Armed with bricks, stones and lathis, the mob broke window panes of various buildings. Ten Tibetans were injured when the mob manhandled them. The mob also torched two vehicles belong: ing to Tibetans.
Additional police force was rushed from Daroh Police Training College, where the state Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh had arrived for inauguration of an administrative complex. The situation has become tricky for the police and local administration with the Chief Minister scheduled to visit here, during his ongoing four day visit of Kanga district. Singh will address various public meetings here.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 29, 1994
