By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 10: Thousands of Tibetans including school children, foreigners and locals gathered today at the Tsuglakhang courtyard to participate in the Central Tibetan Administration’s official celebration of the 26th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The day has since been a prominent date in the exile Tibetan community’s calendar.
The function’s Chief Guest Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, former Minister of HP State and incumbent MLA referred to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a “messenger of peace” and a follower of “Gandhian Philosophy”. She said, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama has made possible the set up of the unique Tibetan democracy and the preservation of Tibetan culture and tradition which was displayed through the children performing Tibetan folk dances.”
The Tibetan PM Lobsang Sangay thanked the leaders and diplomats of various international governments for taking a stand on the Tibetan issue yet lamented the absence of cause for celebration. “Today is also World Human Rights Day and the 67th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, Tibetans inside Tibet have nothing to celebrate as the human rights situation inside Tibet is continuously deteriorating. Tibetan people continue to suffer political repression, economic marginalization, social discrimination, cultural assimilation and environmental destruction under China’s authoritarian rule,” said Sangay.
Speaking on the issue of the authority over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, he said, “The final authority based on both history and religious traditions in selecting the next Dalai Lama rests solely on the present Dalai Lama. Neither the muscle nor money of the Chinese government will change the belief of the Tibetan people in His Holiness the Dalai Lama to appoint the next Dalai Lama”.
Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Penpa Tsering, expressed a sternly worded condemnation of people leveling “baseless allegations” against the Dalai Lama in his address to the gathering. “He is our great patron and the object of gratitude for both this life and our next life as well as for all time realms. That His Holiness himself felt driven to express such a feeling of disappointment in his speech is a cause of unbearable concern in our hearts. It is of utmost importance that all Tibetans discern with clarity the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the basis of the reality of his words and deeds,” said Tsering.
The Speaker also spoke on the deteriorating human rights situation inside Tibet. “We also take this opportunity to make a strong appeal to the international human rights organizations and others to bring urgent pressure on the government of China to release these innocent Tibetans forthwith and also to put an immediate end to its unrestrained atrocities on the Tibetan people which are not only inhuman but in gross violation of all norms of international law,” said Penpa.
The Department of Information and International Relations launched a book, The Tibetan Panchen Lama Lineage: How Reincarnation is Being Reinvented as a Political Tool at the official event.
Cultural performances by Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Thang-Do-Lu-Gar institute, TCV and Youngling school as well as Indo Tibetan Friendship Association’s Indian members added a festive mood to the celebration otherwise marred by a windy cold weather.
