Dharamsala, September 2 – Tibetans living in India celebrated the 45th anniversary of their government-in-exile at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.
After an abortive uprising against the Chinese rule, the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and thousands of his followers fled to India in 1959 and set up the government-in-exile in this scenically located town in 1960.
Since then, the Buddhist god-king has been living in India. He has since renounced independence and says he only wants more autonomy for Tibet, while China charges the spiritual leader with continuing to provoke separatism.
Hundreds of Tibetans and foreigners assembled at their main temple as the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government, Samdhong Rimpoche, flagged off the celebrations.
Later, a cultural extravaganza showcasing traditional Tibetan dance and music was also held.
Rimpoche hoped the talks with Chinese authorities would evoke a solution in the near future.
“We are expecting a sustainable dialogue in the near future. And this year, the fourth round up discussion at Switzerland in Bern was fruitful, and now, we are looking forward to the fifth round of discussion where we will be able to express all points in a frank and free manner.” Rimpoche said.
The latest round of talks between the Dalai Lama’s envoys and Beijing government officials on the future of Tibet took place at the Chinese Embassy in Bern last month, but the two sides have admitted that the talks have not yet borne fruit, despite a change in his stand.
The government-in-exile hopes to form a free and democratic government in Tibet some day.
About 1,34,000 Tibetans live in exile, most of them in India and Nepal, and of them, less than half were born in their homeland.
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