By Phuntsok Yangchen
IMAGEIMAGE DHARAMSHALA, November 22: A newly founded Tibetan writers group Dhangla Riwo Patsok today released its first annual magazine ‘Dhangla Riwo’ at the Library of Tibetan Works and archives’ hall in Gangchen Kyishong.
The group also gave a cash prize for three best articles for its magazine. The magazine contains 10 articles written by Tibetans from various schools, monasteries and universities in India.
Addressing at the ceremony, Topgyal Tsering, Secretary of Department of Education, Tibetan government in exile spoke about the importance of language and measures to preserve it.
“There are a number of nationalities in this world. Culture, history and costume are the characteristics to define one’s nationality; however, language becomes the key factor for all these characteristics to survive,” said Topgyal.
“To preserve the language, we have to use it and the ways to use it is by writing articles,” Topgyal added.
Education Secretary also commended the work of writers’ group and called on Tibetan youth to read more books in Tibetan.
Also present were Lobsang Jinpa, Secretary of Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama; Ghang Lhamo, Member of Tibetan Parliament; Lhasang Tsering, Writer; Ju Tenkyong, Editor of Monlam Dictionary and
Lodrup Passang, Writer.
“The medium of non-fiction is to inform the mind. Therefore, regarding our history and culture, I think we have done well but now having informed the mind to get things done we have to move the heart. Fiction has two advantages- one in being more emotional and two, where we write fiction about the situation inside Tibet. We can put up characters by combining a few real characters and then no one individual can be identified. So we can convey the actual situation under China and move people’s heart more through fiction than by simply informing them,” said Lhasang Tsering on the topic of ‘Status of Tibetan writing in the International arena’.
Dhanglariwo Patsok was founded in May this year by four Tibetans to preserve Tibetan language. The publishing of magazine was aimed to encourage young Tibetan writers to write more and provide a platform for their writings.
