Happy Valley, Mussoorie November 2 – The first ever Inter school Tibetan Dialectics competition was successfully organized by Tibetan Homes Foundation in Mussoorie on 28th and 29th October, 2005. This competition was held as a part of the 70th Birthday celebrations of His Holiness The Dalai Lama being observed by Tibetans across the world in the year 2005. A total of 15* Tibetan schools participated in the first ever Inter school Tibetan Dialectics competition coming from different parts of India.
The competition was categorized for students from grade VII and VIII with two students from each category who formed a team thus a total of 60 students participated in the competition.
Gracing the occasion as Chief Guest for the opening ceremony was Venerable Gyatso, Khenpo of Sakya College from Rajpur. The program began early morning at 8 : 00 am in the Tsering Dolma auditorium. The program began with the singing of the Tibetan and Indian national anthem, lighting of the butter lamp by the chief guest and offering of sweetened rice and butter tea to the portrait of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. This was followed by the school participants offering scarf to the portrait of His Holiness The Dalai Lama after which sweet rice and Tibetan tea was offered to all in the auditorium. Thereafter Kungoe Ngawang Phelgyal, General Secretary of Tibetan Homes Foundation addressed the gathering, welcoming all the guests, participants and audience. He then also spoke on the aims and objectives of organizing the event. This was followed by a speech from the chief guest, Ven. Khenpo Gyatso who highlighted the Tibetan dialectics, its origin and its relation to Tibetan Buddhism in a very simple language thereby communicating to all the young children assembled in the auditorium. He also wished good luck to all the competing participants.
Thereon the first two schools THS, Rajpur and TCV-Suja competed. Among the other Honorable dignitaries present were Kungoe Ngawang Tenpa (ATPD), Kungoe Ngawang Jampa (Ex-ATPD), Kungoe K. T. Bhutia (Principal of CST Mussoorie), Kungoe Karma Namgyal (Rector, CST Mussoorie), Kungoe Ngawang (Judge, local justice commission office) and Presidents of the local Tibetan associations.
The competitive spirit and the attractive style of the participants kept the audience glued to their seats for the two entire days in-spite of the cold weather. A league system competition was held in which three finalists were selected by a group of judges from Sakya College and Nyingmapa College. The three finalists in both the categories were the following three schools – the host Tibetan Homes School – Mussoorie, TCV-Suja and Sera Je – Bylakuppe. Gracing the occasion as Chief Guest for the finals and the closing ceremony was Honorable Kalon Thupten Lungrik (Minister for Education and Health) from the CTA of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Other dignitaries present were Kungo Tsering Phuntsok (Education Officer, Department of Education), Kungoe Jinger Pon (Welfare officer, Dickeyling), welfare officers from nearby Tibetan settlements and the dignitaries present during the opening ceremony. The final of the dialectics competition was a treat for all the audience as the competition was intense especially with the crowd cheering the host team. In the end, it was Sera Jey Secondary school which bagged the first position in grade VII category and 2nd position in the grade VIII category, TCV Suja bagged the first position in grade VIII category and 2nd position in grade VII category while the hosts had to be content with the third position in both the categories. Speaking at the occasion after awarding the cash prizes to the winners, Honorable Kalon Thupten Lungrik highly appreciated the initiative of Tibetan Homes Foundation for organizing such an event. He also appreciated the standard of the competition and was stunned to see the performance of the school children in this field, which he said very much matched with the Tibetan dialectics he had observed in the monasteries. In the end he thanked THF and all those (participating schools) who had made this event a success.
The closing ceremony was marked with colorful presentation of Tibetan cultural dances and songs performed by the children of Tibetan Homes School. A final farewell dinner was hosted in the auditorium with Kalon, Education Officer, dignitaries and the participating schools.
The objective of this big event was to emphasize the Tibetan traditional form of learning(Tsenyi), which is based on verbal debate and reasoning, the importance of which has been quite often stressed on by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The Tibetan dialectics has been a part of the school curriculum in all the Tibetan schools however it has not been explored to its potential for the children at school, while in all the Tibetan monasteries and nunneries this is one subject where every monk or nun has to be perfect before pursuing his or her higher studies. Until now this form of learning was seen as a segment belonging to the Tibetan monks and nuns however this big event has changed the path for the future on Tibetan Dialectics
Participating schools were– Upper TCV – Dharamsala, TCV Model school – Selaqui, TCV – Gopalpur, TCV – Suja, Sambhota school – Dikeyling, CST – Dolanji, Sambhota school – Gangtok, CST – Mussoorie, Sera Je secondary school – Bylakuppe, CST – Kalimpong, CST – Chauntra, CST Norgayling – Bandara, Sambhota – Bhumtar, THS – Rajpur and THS – Mussoorie.
