Dharamshala: Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang, as the Guest of Honour, graced the closing ceremony of the 26th Himalayan Festival organized by the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association of Dharamshala to commemorate the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the auditorium of TIPA on 11th December 2022.

In the presence of the Chief Guest Gandharva Rathore, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kangra; Dharamshala Mayor Omkar Nehria; ITFA President Ajit Nehria; ITFA advisor Ram Swaroop, Parliamentarian Dawa Tsering, other distinguished guests, and the general public, the Deputy Speaker spoke on the significance of the Himalayan Festival which is to commemorate the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Deputy Speaker, as quoted by His Holiness in the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, highlighted that the award is a recognition of the true values of altruism, love, compassion, and nonviolence which His Holiness practices, in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha and the great sages of India and Tibet. The special bond between the Himalayan people and the Tibetan people stems from this centuries-old shared heritage of altruism, love, compassion, and nonviolence.

The Deputy Speaker also shared the pain of witnessing the awful sufferings of Tibetans inside of Tibet under the oppressive rule of China and recommended the ITFA to make a collective effort in spreading awareness of Tibet beyond cultural and traditional aspects.

Encouraging the younger generation to be part of the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association (ITFA), the Deputy Speaker reiterated the importance of having the young Indians and Tibetans carry on the legacy of the older generation members of the ITFA.

Finally, the Deputy Speaker lauded and thanked the organizers, participants, and sponsors of the Himalayan Festival for making their valuable contributions to a very good cause.