Dharamsala : Members of 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Ven. Tenpa Yarphel and Ven. Geshe Lharampa Gowo Lobsang Phende, upon reaching Bagdora airport in the evening around 1:30 after their departure from Delhi on Aug 21, were received by Mr. Khenrap Dhutsel, Secretary of Kunphenling Tibetan settlement office and Mr. Rigzin Gyatso, Vice-Chairman of the settlement’s Local Tibetan Assembly. From there, they set out to the Tibetan settlement, wherein, they were accorded warm welcome by concerned authorities, including Mr. Tenzin Norden Settlement Officer of the said settlement.
Accompanied by Mr. Tenzin Norden and the Vice-Chairman of its Local Tibetan Assembly, the two parliamentarians visited and assessed the circumstance of settlement’s office as well as the office of its Regional Tibetan Freedom Movement and the hall of its Local Tibetan Assembly in morning of Aug 22 at 9. From 10 am in the morning thereafter, they were escorted to Sambhota Tibetan Primary Day school, where the teachers and students adorned in traditional Tibetan attire, accorded a resplendent welcome with traditional Tibetan scarf offerings, complimented with …..
There, the two Tibetan parliamentarians stressed on the importance of Tibetan language and the status of Tibetan language in exile. Furthermore, they also emphasized that the responsibility of nurturing a competent students lies not in the hands of just teachers but also in the hands of their parents, who should strive to embed in their children’s consciousness Tibetan language and right habits.
They also a shugmol meeting with the 13 teachers and staffs of the schools, including the Dialectic teacher of the school as they counseled them to instill an ever-more dexterity and efforts to employ various teaching methods and techniques to convey various subjects of the school, especially Tibetan language to the students.
On Aug 23, from 9 am till 12:30 in the noon, a public meeting was held at Gyalyum Chenmo community hall of the Tibetan settlement. Mr. Tenzin Norden initiated the meeting by briefly introducing the two parliamentarians to the public and stated the importance of according due courtesy and respect to the dignitaries from the Central Tibetan Administration and not to waste the opportunity to voice their grievances to the dignitaries upon such visits.
Thereafter, Parliamentarian Ven. Geshe Lharampa Gowo Lobsang Phende spoke on the achievements of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the urgent situation inside Tibet. Parliamentarian Ven. Tenpa Yarphel addressed the audience on the evolution of Tibetan democracy in exile and Tibetan Parliament in exile. He commended the settlement over the decrease in the number of destitute category from 100 to 11 over the past few years stating that it is but a symbolical of one’s livelihood prosperity. He further added that except for the genuine destitute, those who readily integrate themselves as destitute solely to benefit off its aids, despite adequate livelihood, are people of antiquated thinking, negating the self from prosperity and thus, such attitude and motivations should be changed. While relaying the recent advises of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Ladakh, he stated that the responsibility of enabling period of respite for His Holiness the Dalai Lama lies on all the Tibetans. He also informed on the various discussion held in the Tibetan parliamentary session over same and Security Kalon (Minister) of CTA assurance to relay the same to the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (known as Gaden Phodrang in Tibetan). He urged on the minimization of inviting His Holiness the Dalai Lama to various programme by the any organizations and rather to put into practice the advises of His Holiness on one’s dally life.
After the conclusion of question-answer session with the public, Mr. Rigzin Gyatso delivered the concluding speech and thereby, adjourning the meeting.
The two parliamentarians, along with the Tibetan settlement officer and the Vice -Chairman of the Local Tibetan Assembly went to pay homage to Tashidhing and other pilgrimage sites in the locality, as they prayed for swift resolution of Tibet;s just cause.
On Aug 24, they paid homage to Ralong Palchen Choling monastery and nunnery, Bon monastery and other monasteries, thus, successfully concluding the official Tibetan parliamentary settlement visitation/assessment program at Kunphenling Tibetan settlement, Ravangla.
