November 18, 2013: New Delhi based India Tibet Coordination Office organized an educational program to final year English journalism students of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) from November 14-17, 2013 at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. The study tour was initiated to enhance better understanding and awareness about Tibet and its freedom struggle.

31 students and 1 faculty member from the institute took part in the visit and had meetings, discussion and interaction with officials of the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibetan NGOs and other Institutional heads. This is the tenth consecutive year of such educational tour with the IIMC.

The students were given brief information on the organizational structure of Central Tibetan Administration and the present democratic reform in the exile community since His Holiness the Dalai Lama devolution of Political authority to the elected Political Leader in 2011. The students were made aware on present phase of Tibetan movement inside Tibet by reflecting the spate of Self immolations and Lhakar movement, which plea for return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and preserving Tibetan culture, religion, language and tradition.

The visit also includes 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 gives special consideration to accommodate Tibetan children arrived from Tibet and orphanage.

The students met Mr. Thupten Samphel, Director of Tibet Policy Institute, Mr. Karma Monlam, Researcher at Department of Education, Mr.Tenzin Norbu, Head of Environment and Development Desk with DIIR, Mr.Lobsang Choedak, Media coordinator with DIIR, Mr. Tenzin Nyinjey, Researcher at Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and representatives from leading Tibetan NGOs namely the Tibetan youth congress, Tibetan women’s association, Gu-Chu-Sum, NDPT & SFT India.

Farooq Anwar, one of the visiting students said after the tour that it is sad to accept the reality that Tibet, one of the oldest civilizations is under Chinese rule. But on the other hand, the country owes a distinction of running a perfectly democratic government in exile. When colonial powers left India, the dragon (China) got mischievous and cheated the great nation of “Tibet”.

Aprajita Sharma, said that the current wave of self immolation in Tibet is “one of the biggest waves of self immolations in the last six decades” says a study done by Oxford University Sociologist, Michael Biggs. All the self immolator calls for return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and for the religious freedom in Tibet.

India Tibet Coordination Office distributed Tibet related books to the students. Prior to this trip, the students had an interactive session about the trip and Tibet Issue at the institution with Mr. Tenzin Lekshay, Media Coordinator at Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on November 12, 2013.