Dharamsala: For the past 20 years, intentionally or unintentionally, some kind of cultural genocide is taking place in Tibet, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has said in the India capital New Delhi.
“I have heard that many monasteries in Tibet are becoming more like museums and monks just caretakers. For the last 20 years, I have been hearing that intentionally or unintentionally, some kind of cultural genocide is taking place in Tibet,” the Dalai Lama told journalist Karan Thapar in an interview for Devil’s Advocate programme on CNN-IBN news channel, according to a report on the website of Tibet’s Government in exile.
The Nobel laureate, however, also said: “We need more research work to confirm this.”
On promotion of Mandarin as a medium of instruction in schools in Tibet, the Dalai Lama said some Tibetans told him that some kind of ‘semi-cultural revolution’ is taking place in Tibet and Tibetan language might well get wiped out soon.
On being asked what Tibetans were doing to fight the threats posed to their language and culture, he said: “By asking for genuine autonomy in People’s Republic of China.”
The interview is to be aired Nov 21 at 8 p.m. on CNN-IBN news channel.
