By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, July 23: The Tibetan Chamber of Commerce yesterday started a two-day workshop on “Entrepreneurship” here at the Bhagsu Club house. Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, Cabinet Minister in the government of Himachal Pradesh and Vice-Chairman of Tourism Development Board presided over the as the chief guest. Also present for the inaugural ceremony were Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, and representatives of various Tibet support groups in Dharamshala.
Mrs. Madi Sharma, Board member of European Economic Social Committee of European Union; Mrs. Carmen Godeanu, Parliamentary Assistant to a Polish President in the European Parliament and Mrs. Anna Ruszel, Board member of the Banking Forum and the Focused Women’s Network, Scotland, were some of the key resource persons for the workshop. A similar workshop was also carried out in Delhi earlier.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Mankotia wished for Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s sound health and long life. “The kind of crisis that we are passing through now, there is nobody, no other person of peace that I see in today’s world.” He further called the Tibetan Nobel laureate “a constant ray of hope” and “vital to every human kind”.
Responding to a letter submitted to him appealing for assistance in organizing such workshops in the future, issue of license to street vendors and development of the town, Mankotia said that he would work in best way possible to address the issues.
He also said that he will try to arrange meetings between the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce and various Indian commerce forums. He further advised the entrepreneurs to be careful in choosing their business keeping in the mind the environment.
The workshop is attended by both Tibetan and Indian entrepreneurs to strengthen the relation of two communities.
Speaker Penpa Tsering thanked Mankotia for assuring all the help and said that Tibetans will always remain indebted to the Indian people and the government.
The Speaker apologized to the local Indians for a recent article “Is Dharamshala safe for Tibetans” by Mila Rangzen, Tsering said that Chinese government had used the article to create discord between the Tibetans and Indians.
The Tibetan Chamber of Commerce was established in 2005 to undertake activities and steps to enhance and benefit the business interests of the members and the Tibetan businesses and Tibetan community in general. The Chamber said it also aims to support new and aspiring Tibetan entrepreneurs achieve success in business.
