The 36th Working Committee Meeting (WCM) of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) was held at the largest and oldest Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe from the 24th – 29th August, 2005. The WCM had come to Bylakuppe after a gap of 24 years with the settlement having had the opportunity to host the 10th WCM in the year 1981.
The Tibetan Youth Congress was formally founded at Dharamshala, India on October 7, 1970 with the blessings of H.H. The Dalai Lama. TYC today, is a worldwide organisation of Tibetans united in the common struggle for the restoration of independence of Tibet, with over 30,000 members in 78 chapters all over the world. An independent Organisation, TYC has a written constitution with clearly outlined goals and has emerged as the most active and important Tibetan political force.
Being a discipline functioning fully on the principles of democracy, the representatives from all the chapters of TYC meet annually in the form of Working Committee Meetings to discuss, review and decide major policies and activities to be carried out in a year. The agendas discussed and resolutions passed by the WCM become the annual working guidelines for the entire members of the discipline.
The 36th WCM was attended by over 100 delegates, representing more than 40 regional chapters, buoyed with the maiden attendance of two youth representatives from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi the most recent chapter of TYC. The 36th WCM also saw the first time representation of the Taiwan chapter of the TYC with the Vice-President of RTYC Taiwan marking his attendance.
A day prior to the meeting a press conference regarding the 36th WCM was held in the south Indian city of Mysore, addressed by the President of TYC, Mr. Kalsang Phuntsok Godrukpa. The major dailies carried out the events relating to the 36th WCM at length with national dailies such as the Times of India and The Hindu featuring special interviews of the President.
The inaugural function of the 36th WCM was graced by H.E. Lobsang Palden Rinpochen, Abbot of Sera Je Monastery as the Chief guest along with other dignitaries representing various governmental, non-governmental organizations and monastic and educational institutions, including the South Justice Commissioner, the honourable members of parliament and the settlement officers of Dickyi Larsoe, Lugsam Samdupling and Rabgayling Settlements. In his introductory address the President of TYC, Mr. Kalsang Phuntsok Godrukpa outlined the major activities organized by TYC during the previous year and gave his assurance that with the years of intensive as well as extensive campaigns and activities and with the timely developments in the organiastional setup of TYC, the Tibetan freedom struggle was constantly getting nearer to its goal of Rangzen. In the keynote address, H.E. Lobsang Palden Rinpochen introduced himself as an old ‘youth’ with the equal craving for complete independence, common to all Tibetans. He overtly dismissed the claims laid by certain circles within the society of TYC’s stand contravening the wishes of H.H. The Dalai Lama and expressed his gratitude for the various political and social activities being taken out by TYC, encouraging the youth representatives to intensify the freedom struggle.
The actual meeting began with the review of the annual report and budget of the respective regional chapters followed by intensive discussion and deliberations from the representatives of the various chapters. The ideas and suggestions proposed by the grass root members of TYC from all over India, Nepal and Bhutan were presented at the meeting. The views and suggestions of the 7 North American regional chapters of TYC were given equal footing at the WCM with Mr. Gadong Jigme, Joint Secretary who had convened the 5th North America Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Annual Meeting from 30-31 July 2005 at Toronto, presenting the resolutions passed at the North America RTYC meeting. Pertinent resolutions relating to numerous important agendas were unanimously passed by the 36th WCM including resolutions on intensifying the political activities of TYC on global and local levels, on preventing China the opportunity of hosting the 2008 Olympics, on strengthening and augmenting the exile administrative and governmental set up of the Tibetans, amongst others.
The 36th WCM also sent a petition signed by all the representatives to Mr. Hu Jintao, President of the Peoples Republic of China, condemning and rejecting the unwarranted and imposed celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the ‘Tibet Autonomous Region’. The petition read, “In the last 40 years Tibetan have been subjected to worst kinds of political suppression, cultural repression and designs of ethnic cleansing aimed at completely destroying and annihilating the race and identity of Tibet as a nation and people distinct from China. The last four decades, Tibetans with the formation of Tibet Autonomous Region, which forms only one third of historical Tibet and various other smaller pockets of communist administration have been modeled to meet the evil schemes of communist China to dispose the Tibetans off their historical roots and assimilate the occupied country into China while rendering the rouge regime with a perverse defence to fend of political criticism and diplomatic pressure.”
A day long tour of the monasteries, various institutions and schools was also included in the WCM program. At all the places the TYC delegates were received with much love and respect by the concerned administration, expressing their support and solidarity for the Tibetan freedom struggle. The day culminated with the chanting of prayers for the martyrs of Tibet in front of the ‘martyr stupa’ erected by RTYC Bylakuppe as a perpetual symbol of homage and remembrance of the sacrifices made by countless of Tibetans for the cause of a Free Tibet.
The 36th WCM was made a grand success with the help and support of the various rukhags of RTYC Bylakuppe, the settlement offices of Deckyi Larsoe and Lugsam Samdupling, the various monasteries and institutions in and around Bylakuppe, the general population of the two settlements and the hard work and dedication put in by the executive members of the regional chapter of Bylakuppe.
