DHARAMSHALA: The Central Tibetan Administration today organised a brief ceremony to celebrate India’s 69th Republic Day at the Kashag secretariat. Members of the Kashag and senior officials of the Tibetan administration attended the ceremony.
As CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay is currently on an official visit to Europe, officiating President Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok, Kalon of the Department of Religion and Culture, hoisted the Indian national flag.
Addressing the media following the flag hoisting, officiating President Kalon Karma Gelek Yuthok said: “I would like to congratulate and convey the greetings of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people to India on this auspicious occasion.”
“India has made a great progress over the past 69 years in all the fields and have achieved a great many success. We are also confident that in the future too India will move forward to further heights and progress, and eventually will become a very well known and famous world power. This is our prayer and hope,” he expressed.
“We Tibetans are extremely grateful to the people and government of India as a whole for their generous support for all these years. We will try to repay this great support in the future by fulfilling the wishes of the Indian government and people when they gave us asylum. This is our pledge,” he added.
Responding to a media query about the Indian government’s decision to confer Padma Shri to noted Tibetan medical practitioner Dr Yeshi Dhonden, Kalon Karma Gelek said: “We are very pleased and at the same time very encouraged to hear the news.”
“Dr Yeshi Dhonden has practiced Tibetan medicine while he was still in Tibet. After coming into exile, he was appointed as the personal physician of His Holiness the Dalai Lama because of his expertise,” he recalled.
“Even after retirement, he continued his clinical practice and became extremely popular. So many Indians from all over the country came to know about his treatments and line up to consult him. So, I think he has rendered a great service to the people of his host country.”
“At the same time, he made us very proud. He has also encouraged us to remember that the Tibetan cultural knowledge has great value. Tibetan medicine has kind of spoken for itself of the benefits which is now gaining recognition. The conferment of the prestigious award on Dr Yeshi Dhonden is also a recognition of Tibetan medical practice,” he exclaimed.
Following the brief ceremony at Kashag, Kalon Karma Yeshi took part in the official ceremony organised by the local Indian administration of Kangra district at the police ground in lower Dharamshala. Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok of the Tibetan Parliament, Tibetan parliamentarian Lobsang Choejor and DIIR Secretary Sonam Norbu Dagpo were also present at the ceremony.
The chief guest at the police ground ceremony is Shri Mahender Singh Thakur, Honourable Irrigation and Public Health minister of Himachal Pradesh. The minister also acknowledged and congratulated Dr Yeshi Dhonden on being conferred the Padma Shri. He said Dr Yeshi Dhonden has made Dharamshala proud.
Kalon Karma Yeshi also visited the war memorial and placed wreaths in honour of the fallen soldiers of India.