New Delhi: Kalon Choekyong Wangchuk, Minister of the Department of Health of the Central Tibetan Administration made a formal request for the appointment of Sowa-Rigpa advisor in the Ministry of Ayush of the Government of India during a celebration marking the 1st Sowa-Rigpa, (generally known as the Tibetan science of healing) day at India International Centre in New Delhi today.
Around 70 traditional medical practitioners and students of Tibetan and non-Tibetan heritage from India and abroad joined the ceremony. Shri Pramod Kumar Patha, Additional Secretary in Ministry of Ayush attended the function as the chief guest while Health Minister Choekyong Wangchuk, Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Pema Jungney, Padma Gurmet, Member of Central Council of Indian Medicine were the guests of honour.
Lobsang Tenzin Ragdo, the President of Central Council of Tibetan Medicines, gave a brief account of the traditional practice of Tibetan medicines and introduced the working of the Central Council of Tibetan Medicines (CCTM) and highlighted the importance of celebrating the 1st Sowa-Rigpa day which he said will continue to be observed in the future.
Kalon Choekyong Wangchuk, in his address, noted the positive impact that Sowa-Ripa makes not just in the Tibetan community but in the international community as well.
Terming the Sowa-Rigpa tradition “a noble one,” Kalon Choekyong Wangchuk said it is a practice that is widely respected and known throughout the world and attributed the success of this practice to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his initiatives and guidance and the successive governments of India for assisting in the preservation and promotion of this practice.
Drawing from the current challenges in the promotion of Sowa-Rigpa, the Kalon requested the Ministry of Ayush to appoint an advisor for the Sowa-Rigpa category in Ayush which stands for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy and to increase the number of members in the Central Council of Indian Medicines.
The chief guest Shri Pramod Kumar Patha congratulated practitioners of Sowa-Rigpa tradition on the 1st Sowa-Rigpa day celebration and said the Ministry of Ayush will extend all possible help in the promotion and preservation of Sowa-Rigpa and thanked the efforts made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and traditional practitioners of Tibetan medicine for successfully preserving and promoting the practice.
The Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Pema Jungney, who helped draft the rules and regulations of CCTM recounted his association with CCTM and the importance of expanding the scope of Sowa-Rigpa.
“Currently the situation is such that majority of job aspirants in Sowa-Rigpa doctors do not get jobs despite clearing the exams due to lack of job vacancies in the field. We must make efforts to create jobs for the graduating doctors and that will pave way for the expansion of Sowa-Rigpa in the long run,” the speaker said.
During the event, the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine launched a Sorig Journal and unanimously honored Dr. Tsewang Tamding, personal physician to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with Yuthok award in recognition of his contribution in the field of Sowa-Rigpa.
On the sideline of the event, the organiser has set up free medical camps and exhibitions to celebrate the day.
-Filed by Correspondent Tenzin Wangchuk