Dharamsala: As per the designated schedule of Tibetan settlements official visitation/assessment by the 16th Tibetan Parliament in Exile, parliamentarians Ven. Khenpo Kada Ngodup Sonam and Mr. Tsewang Tashi Bhara successfully concluded their nine days official visit to the Tibetan settlements in Sonada, Mirik, Kurseong, Sukhiapkhri, Ghum, Lamahatte, Odlabari and Darjeeling in West Bengal from Oct 8 to 19.
Parliamentarian Ven. Khenpo Kada Ngodup Sonam left for Delhi from Dharamsala and set out for Bagdora on Oct 9, where he met with Parliamentarian Mr. Tsewang Tashi Bara and Darjeeling Tibetan settlement officer in the evening of the same day.
They were duly received by the coordinator and Secretary of Sonada Tibetan settlement, upon their arrival at the settlement the day. Thereafter, they inspected the kiwi plantation and the settlement as well.
On Oct 11, the two Tibetan lawmakers were escorted to the settlement’s Tibetan school, where they observed the teaching methodology in an ongoing class and interacted with student by engaging in subject-related debates. They also visited the school’s hostel and met with the foster paresnt there. Thereafter, they also held an internal meeting (shug-mol) with the teachers and provided clarifications to the doubt raised. They also held an internal meeting (shug-mol) with the Settlement Officer, Co-ordinator, Group-Leaders (Gyakpon), Directors and members of the settlement’s cooperative society, representatives from Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women Association and monasteries. They also held a public meeting during which, the parliamentarians elucidated the Tibetan public on the endeavors of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the urgent situation inside Tibet as well as on the geopolitical circumstances of Tibet in the international platform. They also informed them on the functions and responsibilities of Tibetan parliament in exile.
They paid homage to Kagyu Samdup Dhargyal Choling monastery and thereafter, left for Darjeeling, where they were received by the settlement’s office’s Secretary, Chairman of Regional Tibetan Freedom Movement, representative of the three provincial associations, Tibetan Women Association, Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Handicraft Centre, Jamyang Culture centre.
The next day, they paid homage to Kagyu Dalu monastery, Sakya Guru monastery, Yigha Choeling monastery and left for Kurseong Tibetan settlement. Over there, they paid homage to the Sakya Kunga Shedupling monastery and sought an audience with 42nd Kyabgon Gongma Trizin, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, who also accompanied the parliamentarians during their visit to the settlement’s day school and its rooms.
The parliamentarians left early morning of Oct 13 for Mirik. Upon reaching there around 11 am, they paid their obeisance to Kagyu Bokarneydhon Chokorling monastery and later retuned to Dorling Jamyang Cultural centre’s guest house.
The next day the parliamentarian visited Rimpik Sakya Choephelling monastery and were accorded warm welcome by the abbots and staffs of the monastery.
On Oct 15, they visited the Tibetan settlement office, Chakpori clinic and Mentsekhang, Tibetan Handicraft centre.
Later in the evening at 2pm, they held a public meetng with the Tibetanpublic and students above ninth class and engaed in question-answer session with them. They also held an internal meeting(shugmol tsogdu) with the board members of the Jamyang Tibetan cultre centre.
Later at the night, the parliamentarins gathered together with the Settlement Officer and Secretary, Chairman of Regional Tibetan Freedom Movement, Directors of Jamyang Tibetan Cultural Centre and Tibetan Handicraft centre for a modest working dinner, as they held an internal meeting.
It took 9 days to successfully record the supplications of required review of students and public grievances as well as intimation and assessment of destitute, monasteries, schools, settlements etc.
The grievances as per recorded by the parliamentarians will be forwarded to the concerned executive body for effective grievance redressal through the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
