The Standpoint

By
Karan Deep Singh

Commemorating 50 years of Tibetan Government in Exile and the Freedom Movement, the History Association of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce in collaboration with India Tibet Coordination Office organised a day long event calling it, A Day For Tibet on Monday, 31^st August 2009.

The event began with a Welcome Song by the Tibetan Group of Performing Arts. The song essentially conveyed the message of ‘Thank You India’ accompanied by visuals of innocent Tibetan children holding Indian Flags with smiles on their faces.

Thereafter, the Principal of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Dr. M.S Rawat inaugurated the Interactive Session: Talk on Tibet on behalf of the college and expressed his gratefulness and concern for the Tibetan Freedom Movement. The talk on Tibetans in exile began with a speech by Mr. Tempa Tsering, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Minister of Tibetan Government in Exile calling Tibet “a pristine environment” and its political environment at present “hostile” to its very inhabitants and to the ones it belongs. He said that the present state in Tibet is of “survival” and preservation of whatever the people of Tibet are left with along with “preserving” what has come from India.

He also brought to light essential facts about Tibet becoming a major tourist attraction for its heavenly scenic beauty comprising of beautiful mountains and blue rivers; of Tibet’s natural resources; of Tibet being a source of fresh water rivers to Asia and these he believed were reasons why Tibet has become so important to the world and why the people of Tibet need their support.

He said “the issue of Tibet is about Peace, Environment, Culture, Exploitation of Natural Resources and Human Rights” which is why the whole world needs to support the people who still can’t exercise freedom of speech, of religion and are forced to live in exile. Another speaker, Mr. Tenzing Lekshay, Coordinator, India Tibet Coordination Office said: “Today we are all inter-dependent on each other, therefore the Indian public should know about this issue as India is closely related to the ancient history of Tibet”

The Talk session was followed by a documentary film screening of Tibet’s Stolen Child: a film on Panchen Lama, a revered Lama of Tibetan Buddhism kidnapped by the Chinese Government at the age of six.

The Standpoint brings you some exclusive shots from the Exhibition where Tibetan paintings, artefacts and T-shirts about the Tibetan Movement were on sale.