March 25, 2013: New Delhi based India Tibet Coordination Office organized an educational program for final year journalism students of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) from 21-25 March 2013 at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. The study tour was initiated to enhance better understanding and awareness about Tibet and it’s freedom struggle.
28 students and 2 staffs from the institute took part in the visit and had meetings and programs with officials of the Central Tibetan Administration and Tibetan NGOs. This is the nineth consecutive year of such educational tours organised by the India-Tibet Co-ordination Office with the IIMC.
The students met Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Political Leader of the Central Tibetan Administration. Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay gave a brief introduction on the situation inside Tibet. He said, the Tibet issue is an important issue in Sino-India relations. Tibetans follow the non-violence principle of Mahatma Gandhi in its struggle.
Dr Sangay also said, more than 107 Tibetans have self-immolated, as of 22 March, to protest the repressive policies of the Chinese government in Tibet.
The educational tour also include excursion to Tibetan Children’s Village School in Upper Dharamshala. Mr. Thupten Dorjee, General Secretary, TCV, gave a brief introduction on the formation and admission of Schools, which accommodates Tibetan children from Tibet.
The students also had interactive session with the Director of Tibet Policy Institute as well as with various heads of other important tibetan institutes. They also briefly attended the ongoing 15th Tibetan Parliament’s Budget session.
Nihal Parashar, one of the students said that, the tour gave me a deeper insight to the problem which the people of Tibet have been facing for over six decades now. As a personal commitment, I will continue to be a part of the struggle throughout my life in whatever little capacity I can.
While another student Abhishek Sonkar wrote, it is very sad to accept the reality that Tibet, one of the oldest civilizations of the world, is under the Chinese rule. But on the other hand, the country owes applaud for running a perfectly democratic government in Exile.
India-Tibet Coordination Office (ITCO) also distributed Tibet related booklets to the students. Prior to this trip, the students had an interactive session with Mr. Tenzin Lekshay, Media Coordinator at Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Submitted by:
India-Tibet Co-ordination Office (ITCO), New Delhi
