New Delhi - More than 600 exiled Tibetan leaders gathered in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala Monday to air their views and aspirations on the best course of action for the Tibetan cause.

The situation in Tibet was serious and at this "critical stage" all Tibetans needed to find a consensus on what future action should to be taken, Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said in his opening speech.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had called for the six-day special meeting, saying that nothing substantive had been achieved in several rounds of talks with the Chinese leadership on greater autonomy for Tibetans within China.

He said he was increasingly losing faith in Beijing and that it was time for Tibetan leaders in exile to "think over the issue of the common good of Tibet and decide accordingly."

More than 80,000 Tibetan exiles live in India, while 6 million live in the Tibetan Autonomous Region and adjoining areas of China.

The northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala is the headquarters of the Dalai Lama, who fled to India with his followers in 1959, and the Tibetan government-in-exile. The government is not recognized by any nation.

A section of the Tibetan leadership has been advocating a tougher stand with the Chinese leadership and a call for independence.

The Dalai Lama had pursued the "middle way" approach for autonomy for decades, which failed due to the non-cooperative attitude of the Chinese leadership, said Karma Choephel, speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile.

Later Choephel told a press briefing that the views of thousands of Tibetans in Tibet had been taken before the meeting and would also be considered, according to Lobsang Choedak, information officer of the government-in-exile.

Choephel said a majority of those consulted said they would follow the decision of the Dalai Lama, while of the rest were largely in favour of continuing with the "middle way." He said 5,000 of the 17,000 Tibetans surveyed said they wanted independence. Choephel did not reveal how the survey was conducted.

In a statement on the meeting, the government-in exile said any change in basic policy would be decided by the Tibetan people based on their collective aspiration.

Since March 2008, Tibetans in Tibet had spontaneously come out to demonstrate and express their dissatisfaction with the "oppressive and brutal ultra-leftist policies of the PRC (People's Republic of China)" and these protests were crushed mercilessly, the statement said.

"Under such dire circumstances, Tibetans in Tibet pinned all their hopes on fellow Tibetans in the free world," it said. "We must show solidarity with our brethren, and we must do whatever in our means to improve the situation," it added.

Samdhong Rinpoche called for free and frank discussions as delegates divided into 15 committees to discuss critical issues, Choedak said by telephone from Dharamsala.

Each committee would include an official of the government-in-exile to enable them to understand the views of the people, he said.

A summary of suggestions made by various groups and individuals were given to all participants to discuss and attempt to achieve a consensus.

"Whatever stand may be decided for the future of Tibet, it should have the clear mandate of the people. The united efforts of Tibetans should be visible on the international stage," the statement said.

The delegates would return for a general session to debate each point Friday and a final comprehensive report would be prepared on Saturday, the last day of the meeting, for submission to the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama is not attending the special meeting because he said he does not want to influence the discussions, but aides said he is expected to make a statement at the concluding session. (dpa)