By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 4: The Tibetan Parliament in Exile today hosted a luncheon reception in honor of the Indian legislators of the state on the last day of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha’s winter session at Tapovan near here.
The TPiE’s initiative is intended to reiterate and convey the gratitude and goodwill on the behalf of the Tibetan exile government and Tibetan community in the state and elsewhere towards the members of the HP parliament and the state government leadership.
The Tibetan Speaker Penpa Tsering who heads the TPiE expressed profound appreciation for the state government, its leadership and the people of Himachal Pradesh. “His Holiness the Dalai Lama has always referred jokingly to the elected head of the state which changes every five years as ‘my Chief Minister’. We remain forever grateful to the state government of HP for looking out for the Tibetan refugees, allowing His Holiness to live here, allowing CTA to function from here. On behalf of His Holiness, all the Tibetan people and the CTA, we thank the state government, its leadership and the people of Himachal,” said the incumbent Tibetan Speaker.
HP Vidhan Sabha Speaker Brij Bihari Lal Butailji recounted the historical relationship between Tibet and India. He said, “The relationship between the two nations is an old bond made richer by cultural and spiritual sharing when the Tibetan Buddhism had first come from India and flourished in Tibet. We thank the exile leadership and the CTA for this goodwill luncheon.”
The leadership meets of the two respective official set ups is seen as a political and goodwill program for both sides to maintain and rekindle ties. Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay along with a few of his cabinet members and Tibetan MPs were in attendance from the Tibetan contingent. HP State CM Virbhadra Singh, opposition BJP leader and his predecessor Prem Kumar Dhumal and various elected representatives of the state also attended the program.
Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay said, “We are thankful to this great nation, this incredible India but specially for Himachal Pradesh. The people and the state government have always been kind and generous to us and so the least we can do is to come here and say thank you with a simple lunch.
“This time we have chowmein but next time we will bring momo,” added the Tibetan PM jokingly expressing his happiness for the fruitful meet.
