By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 15: Activist group Students for a free Tibet on Saturday commemorated the fourth annual “Tibetan Independence day” in an apparent attempt to highlight Tibet’s nationhood and its separate sovereignty. The commemorations took place in many cities and towns across the globe through concerts, protests and other events to assert their defiant theme to “Reclaim Tibet”.
Pema Yoko, Acting Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet, said, “By publicly commemorating our proud history as an independent nation – a history that the Chinese government has spent 60 years trying to erase from the global consciousness – we are reclaiming our past for future generations while strengthening our struggle so that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all Tibetans can one day reunite in a free Tibet,”
In Dharamshala and Delhi, concerts featuring prominent rock band Parikrama and Tibetan rock band JJI exile brothers led the celebrations that saw many Tibetans, Indians and others participate in the loud assertion of the day that SFT sees as “an attempt to undo China’s attempt to “rewrite Tibetan history”.
“Our goal is to spread awareness amongst the masses about this violent erasure of Tibet’s map, identity and culture. For that purpose we held a Freedom Concert on February 13th featuring bands like Parikrama, who have been a relentless supporter of our cause. It is cross community friendships like these that we want to garner in order to mobilise more people against the oppressive Chinese propaganda,” said Angana Chakrabarti, SFT Delhi Chapter Coordinator.
Tibetan Independence Day was launched on February 13, 2013 on the Centennial of the 1913 Tibetan Proclamation of Independence by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Over the last three years, Tibetan Independence Day (February 13th) has been celebrated in cities around the world (Dharamshala, Bangalore, Pune, Jalandhar, Kolkata and other cities around the world including New York, Boston, London, Edinburgh, Toronto, Paris, Taipei-Taiwan, Vienna-Austria, Sydney-Australia, Tokyo-Japan, Poland and Denmark).
Tenzin Palden, who joined the celebrations at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharamshala on Saturday evening said, “The initiative is innovative. The celebrations while sending a strong message that we are not silent in the face of China’s relentless effort to erase our existence, we also get to participate in a packed musical evening.”
