By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, May 18: On the occasion of the 39th International Museum Day Tibetan Prime Minister (Sikyong) Dr. Lobsang Sangay said that younger generations, who haven’t seen Tibet, must visit museums on regular basis to turn their ‘Imagined Tibet’ into real Tibet.
“Today we are into our 3rd and 4th generation who have not seen Tibet and for us it is ‘Imagine Tibet’. Those who have seen, the older generations are slowly perishing. Hence, the younger generations including me, lack the experiences and emotions of the older generation who suffered at the hands of China,” Sikyong Lobsang Sangay said.
The Tibetan PM was speaking at an event organized by the Department of Information and International Relations today at the Tibet Museum near Tsuglakhang to mark the International Museum Day. Also present were the two DIIR secretaries, Tashi Phuntsok and Sonam Norbu Dagpo.
The Tibetan PM specifically told students from five different schools present at the event that the younger generations should take more interest in Tibet to tackle Beijing’s ambition of turning Tibet into China. “The process of changing Tibet into China is happening,” he regretted, adding that even neighboring countries like India and Nepal with which Tibetans have linguistic and cultural similarities for centuries are also seeing Tibet as China.
The three day event includes live demonstration of thangka painting, talks on Tibet’s history and current situation inside Tibet and documentary screenings.
Tashi Phuntsok, Secretary, said that the Tibet Museum is a platform to spread awareness of the current situation inside Tibet and that it also acts as an archive of Tibetan past, culture and heritage.
Museum’s exhibition catalog ‘A Long Look Homeward’ was also released today. Tashi Phuntsok, Director of The Tibet Museum, said that over 35,000 museums in 145 countries celebrate International Museum Day today started by the International council of Museums in 1977.
