By Tendar Tsering
DHARAMSALA September 27: The 11 Tibetan marching monks from Gaden Jhangtse monastery in the Tibetan settlement of Mundgod, south India began their three-day fast earlier today in the exile seat of Dharamshala after completing their all India march.
The monks who had been on the road for the past 20 days to highlight the deteriorating human rights situation inside Tibet, especially in Kirti and Tawu, eastern Tibet, reached Dharamshala yesterday to more distressing news from Tibet.
Two more monks, Lobsang Kalsang and Lobsang Kunchok, from the under-siege Kirti Monastery in Tibet set themselves ablaze in an apparent anti-China protest, taking the count of self-immolations in Tibet to four in just this year alone.
The 11 monks who have been carrying out their campaign to “pay homage to all the Tibetans who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet” began their fast by offering prayers and tribute to the two Kirti monks.
“We are born as Tibetans with no nation and it is our birth responsibility to fight for our nation and to share the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Tibet,” said one of the fasting monks.
Local Tibetans in the town also joined the monks in the fast.
The monks also took part in a candle-light vigil yesterday evening held in honour of the two monks.
The vigil organised by the regional chapters of the Tibetan Youth Congress and the Tibetan Women’s Association saw a large turnout of Tibetans, local Indians and foreigners.
The organisers of the vigil, while saluting the sacrifices being made by Tibetans in Tibet made an emphatic appeal for an end to such drastic measures of taking one’s life.
The 11 monks had started their peace march from Pune on September 3 and reached Dharamshala on Monday after carrying hunger strikes and peace marches in six major cities across the country.
Talking to Phayul, the monks said that they are inspired by the warm reception they received from the Indian media and public and were determined to do more free Tibet activities in the future.
