Tenzin’s Poetry Wins Hearts
McLeod Ganj – China might have used its pressure and got dropped Miss Tibet from the Miss Tourism International Pageant, but South Asian Literary Conference has not only invited a Tibetan refugee poet but listened to his presentation too.
This is the first time that Tibetan writer Tenzin Tsundue has been honoured with the invitation to share poetry with celebrated writers like Gulzar from India and Ahmed Faraz from Pakistan. The conference was attended by writers from six South Asian countries.
Tenzin Tsundue, the person who scaled to the 14th floor of the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai in 2002 to display his national flag and a banner Free Tibet when Chinese Prime Minister visited the city, will not forget the moment when this time, Gulzar came up to him and said he liked his poetry.
Tsundue lives in Dharamsala and was one among 150 delegates from all over India and South Asian countries at the Literary Conference. Along with him was another Tibetan writer Buchung. D. Sonam who also participated in the Conference.
The Tibetan poet read four poems, which include Exile House, Refugee, My Tibetanness and Space Bar – A Proposal. This invitation may mean an honour to Tsundue personally, but for the exile Tibetans this should be an unforgettable moment of recognition by such a high profile literary festival.
Tsundue while talking to Divya Himachal about his experience said: “for the first time some body listened our story.”
