By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 23: The Tibetan college students’ conference began today at the ‘College for higher Tibetan studies’ at Sarah with college students from around India congregating for its 10th edition.
The student led and operated initiative this year has 65 Tibetan students representing more than 50 colleges and locations in India such as Mangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Chennai, Vijayawada, College for higher Tibetan studies, Norling institute, Namdroling Monastic College among others.
The founder of the initiative, Tsewang Rinzin who is now a consultant at Tibet Fund and a guest at the opening function, expressed joy and pride at seeing the current students assuming the responsibility and the initiative he spearheaded back in 2006. “The responsibility upon all the new generation Tibetan is inherited, whether you assume and step up to it is a personal choice yet if you choose to do so, the cause requires a educated, qualified and determined individuals. Hence it falls upon you to equip oneself with the necessary traits,” said Rinzin.
The College for higher Tibetan studies at Sarah is hosting the initiative for the third occasion. Jamphel Dakpa, the Principal of the college, urged the students to strive being learned in both the modern education along with “ancient yet very much relevant Tibetan repository of wisdom and Buddhist science”. He also spoke on the current situation of the Tibetans from a philosophical perspective. “Maybe it is the worst of times to be born a Tibetan when we do not have a country of our own or maybe we are born at the best of times when we are given this opportunity to reclaim it, ” he said.
The chief guest of the function, CTA’s Education Officer Tsering Samdup stressed that the exile Tibetan government views education as the principle priority and spends more than half its budget on the education of the Tibetan students and youth.
The organizing committee and the Vice President of the initiative, Kunga Choephel said, “The program is a success. Since its inception, the rate of participant has grown over the years and the conference is now an important date in the calendar of the Tibetan college students all over India.”
The annual conference is a platform for Tibetan academics to merge collective opinions and a venue for gathering recommendation for the larger Tibetan cause, exile government and their studentship.
