Siliguri, March 10 – The 49th Tibetan National Uprising Day was commemorated in Siliguri, West Bengal, amidst a situation of unprecedented constraint from the local administration. Over 300 people took part from almost all parts of North-East India. The commemoration began at 10 a.m. at Kalachakra Phodang, where His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave Kalachakra initiation in 1996. The local administration of Siliguri notified the organizers that the march should be completely silent and peaceful (without sloganeering), failing which the permission shall be revoked. As a result, the march was observed in a peaceful manner.
Pawo Dawa Gyalpo, President, North-East Tibetan Youth Congress addressed the gathering about the significance of the day in the history of Tibet. He said that Tibetans inside and outside Tibet should be grateful to the sacrifice made by 1.2 million Tibetans because of which Tibet’s struggle is still alive. He further said that Tibetans should be all the more united in their heart and mind to counter the Chinese evil design of dividing the community in the lines of religion and sect. Mr. Sonam Lhundup, General Secretary, Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association presided over as the chief guest at the inaugural function.
The General Secretary of the North-East Tibetan Youth Congress, Mr. Ugyen Tsewang, read out the resolutions passed during the 3rd Zonal General Body Meeting of North-East Tibetan Youth Congress held on 5th March 2008 in Ravangla, Sikkim. The resolution of the meeting pointed out the need for Tibetans living in the North-east region to work together to protect Tibetan identity, culture and tradition. It also vowed to implement the resolutions passed during the 13th General Body Meeting of Tibetan Youth Congress in Dharamsala
The peace rally started from Airview More, the heart of the city to Court More, distributing leaflets and pamphlets. Reaching Court More, Mr. Dawa Gyalpo, President, North-East Tibetan Youth Congress and Ms. Yangchen Dolkar (Treasurer) read out the TYC statement, followed by press briefing to the media. At the end, a delegation of four person led by Dawa Gyalpo submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the S.D.O. office.
