DHARAMSHALA, October 23: The Tibetan Children’s Village which started in 1960 as a nursery school (bhusokhang)with just 51 children of road construction workers displaced from Tibet today celebrated its 53rd birthday. Presiding over the celebrations was Sikyong Lobsang Sangay as the chief guest and Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the guest of honor.
Sangay, who also holds the portfolio of the education department wished the school well on the occasion and called it one of the most important education institutions in the Tibetan community.
The Tibetan prime minister said, “Don’t study only for your livelihood, you have a special responsibility, a responsibility to fight for a struggle, a responsibility to solve the Tibet crisis.”
He also noted that education will help our past, present, future, individual, family, and our cause.
Also present at the event were Penpa Tsering, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, Tibetan ministers, representatives from the Indian Government offices, Tibet supporters, and donors and TCV alumnus.
Reiterating the Tibetan government’s commitment to Middle Way in solving the Tibet issue, Sangay said, “Tibetan Parliament in exile has unanimously adopted the middle way approach policy for Tibetan government and to engage in a dialogue through Middle way approach is the most important responsibility of the Kashag.”
He further stressed that there is no better approach than the middle way.
“Recently, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that Tibet issue will be solved through middle way and until the Tibet issue is resolved, His Holiness will live. With this, he has sent a clear message and Kashag wants to appeal the Tibetans inside and outside Tibet to keep their minds relaxed and calm,” he assured.
Three day festivity was also marked with the cultural performances and calisthenic display. The inter-house athletics meet will be held tomorrow followed by concluding ceremony on the last day.
Headquartered here in the Northern Indian town of Dharamshala, the base for the Dalai Lama led Tibetan Government in Exile; TCV is the largest residential school of the exiled Tibetan community and also one of the largest of its kind in India.
With established branches in India extending from Ladakh in the North to Bylakuppe in the South, TCV has over 15,000 children under its care.
