LADAKH: Kalon Pema Chhinjor of the Department of Religion and Culture, visited Ladakh from 3 – 7 September on the invitation of the Mahabodhi Society to attend the ‘International Festival of Buddhist Heritage of Ladakh’ in Jammu & Kashmir.

The festival was jointly organised by the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre, Ladakh, Nav Nalanda Maha Vihar, a deemed University based in Nalanda, Bihar, and Asoka Mission, a premier Buddhist institution based in New Delhi.

During his visit, Kalon Pema Chhinjor visited the TCV school and addressed the students on the occasion of the Teacher’s day celebration. In his speech, Kalon Pema Chhinjor talked about the three main principles of the present Kashag, the importance of education, ethics and harmonious relations with the local people, and the recent speeches of His Holiness regarding the devolution of political authority to the democratically-elected leadership.

He also visited various monasteries belonging to the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism in Ladakh on 6 September. He also met with the Tibetan settlement officer, members of the local Tibetan assembly, members of the local Tibetan justice commission.

Later in the evening, Kalon Pema Chhinjor and Health Kalon Tsering Wangchuk jointly addressed the Tibetan community at the TCV School.

In their address, they spoke about the Central Tibetan Administration’s policy of unity, innovation and self-reliance. They explained in detail the 14th Kashag’s efforts to garner international support to resolve the critical situation prevailing inside Tibet. They said that parliamentarians across the world including the US, Japan and Europe, have passed resolutions on Tibet in their respective parliaments in response to the CTA’s appeals.

They also informed the public about the Indian government’s decision to transfer the management of  the Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA) to the Central Tibetan Administration for the all-round development of the Tibetan schools.