Dharamshala: Members of 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Ven. Tenpa Yarphel and Ven Geshe Lharampa Gowo Lobsang Phende, upon reaching Bagdora airport were received by Mr Khenrap Dhutsel, Secretary of Kunphenling Tibetan settlement office and Mr Rigzin Gyatso, Vice-Chairman of the settlement’s Local Tibetan Assembly. They were accorded warm welcome by concerned authorities, including Mr Tenzin Norden Settlement Officer of the said settlement.
The two parliamentarians visited and assessed the circumstance of settlement’s office as well as the office of its Regional Tibetan Freedom Movement and the hall of its Local Tibetan Assembly on 22 August.
Thereafter, they visited Sambhota Tibetan Primary Day school, where the teachers and students accorded an impressive welcome.
The two Tibetan parliamentarians stressed on the importance of Tibetan language and the status of Tibetan language in exile. Furthermore, they also emphasised that the responsibility of nurturing competent students lies not in the hands of just teachers but also in the hands of their parents, who should strive to embed in their children’s consciousness Tibetan language and right habits.
They also held a shugmol meeting with the 13 teachers and staffs of the schools, including the Dialectic teacher of the school as they counselled them to encourage efforts to employ various teaching methods and techniques to convey various subjects of the school, especially Tibetan language to the students.
A public meeting was initiated by Mr Tenzin Norden on 23 August at Gyalyum Chenmo community hall of the Tibetan settlement. He introduced the two parliamentarians to the public and urged them to voice their grievances to the dignitaries.
Thereafter, Parliamentarian Ven. Geshe Lharampa Gowo Lobsang Phende spoke on the achievements of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the urgent situation inside Tibet. Parliamentarian Ven. Tenpa Yarphel addressed the audience on the evolution of Tibetan democracy in exile and Tibetan Parliament in exile. He commended the settlement over the decrease in the number of destitute category from 100 to 11 over the past few years stating that it was symbolical of one’s livelihood prosperity. He further cautioned about those who readily integrate themselves as destitute solely to benefit off its aids, despite adequate livelihood, are people of outdated thinking, and thus urged the gathering to negate such attitude.
While relaying the recent advises of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Ladakh, he stated that the responsibility of enabling period of respite for His Holiness the Dalai Lama lies on all the Tibetans. He also informed about various discussions held in the Tibetan parliamentary session over same and thus urged the public on limiting inviting His Holiness the Dalai Lama to various programmes.
After the interactive session with the public, Mr Rigzin Gyatso delivered the concluding speech.
The two parliamentarians, along with the settlement officer and the Vice -Chairman of the Local Tibetan Assembly went to pay homage to Tashidhing and other pilgrimage sites in the locality.
On 24 August, they paid homage to Ralong Palchen Choling monastery and nunnery, Bon monastery and other monasteries, thus, successfully concluding the official Tibetan parliamentary settlement visitation/assessment program at Kunphenling Tibetan settlement, Ravangla.
-Filed by Tibetan Parliamentarian Secretariat