Delhi’s another Olympics gift to Beijing
From Christina Palmer

NEW DELHI—After organizing riots in Tibet and funding and supporting anti-China protests subsequently, to defame China and to jeopardize the holding of Beijing Olympics, India, on Tuesday extended yet another Olympics gift to China when on his government’s behest, India’s football captain Bhaichung Bhutia refused to carry the Olympic torch when it arrives in India this month, as a protest against China’s crackdown in Tibet. Bhutia, an inhabitant of northeastern Sikkim state, nestled between India, China and Nepal, wrote to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) saying he wanted to “show his solidarity” with Tibetans. “I sympathise with the Tibetans and their cause. I have sent a letter to the IOA refusing to carry the torch,” the 31-year-old Bhutia said in a statement.
“I feel what’s happening in Tibet is not right and in my small way I should show my solidarity,” he later told media. Indian Olympic officials said they had not received any communication from Bhutia. “I have learned from someone that Bhutia has turned down our invitation,” IOA secretary general Randhir Singh said. “Since we have not received any letter from him, I would not like to comment on it.”
Three other Indian athletes invited to join the relay — Milkha Singh, G.S. Randhawa and P.T. Usha — said they would participate. “I feel sports and politics should not be mixed. And I’ll surely take part in the relay,” Singh told the Press Trust of India. Randhawa, a hurdler, said participating was a “matter of great pride and honour for me and I’ll be there in the relay.” The India-based Tibetan-government-in-exile hailed Bhutia’s decision. “We appreciate Bhutia’s gesture and welcome it,” Thubten Samphel, spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile, said by telephone from Dharamshala town in northern India where his administration is headquartered.
India based Tibetans urged relay runners to follow Bhutia’s example. “Hope it encourages others like Usha and (actor) Aamir Khan,” said Tibetan Youth Congress president Tsewang Rigzin. India, home to more than 100,000 Tibetan refugees, has witnessed a string of demonstrations since protests first broke out over the border in Lhasa on March 10, 2008
The Olympic torch relay, which was launched by Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing on Monday, is the longest ever, lasting 130 days and covering 137,000 kilometres (85,000 miles). It will pass through 19 countries during April before returning to China on May 4.

—Agencies