DHARAMSHALA: Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the democratically elected political leader of the Tibetan people, yesterday delivered the keynote address of the ‘Young Tibetan Research Scholars Conference’.

In his keynote address, Sikyong spoke about the 5-50 phenomenon – chronicling the Tibetan political situation in a 5 to 50 year time frame.

Explaining the phenomenon, he said, “The term of office of the Sikyong or the Tibetan Parliament is 5 years. During the five-year term, the Tibetan leadership should formulate policies based primarily on the Middle Way Approach to resume the stalled dialogue process to secure genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people. At the same time, we must analyse the political and social changes taking place inside China and frame appropriate policies to safeguard the interests of the Tibetan people in exile as well as in Tibet in the next fifty-year period.”

“We must also work in tandem with the geo-political changes taking place around the world for the sustenance of the Central Tibetan Administration and the movement that it represents,” he said, urging the scholars to focus their research on these issues.

Sikyong also offered perspectives on the significance of the year 2020 in the Tibetan context of world politics. He said the year 2020 is crucial for the Tibetan movement, as Tibetans at that moment will face major challenges as a result of a great generational shift.

“The year 2020 would mark 70 years since the invasion of Tibet by the People’s Republic of China. At the same time, the generation of Tibetans who have experienced freedom in Tibet before the Chinese invasion would have greatly dwindled,” he explained.

“The next generation of Tibetan leadership inside and outside Tibet has to cope with a crucial and challenging reality. Tibetans living in occupied Tibet will have no personal memories of traditional Tibet, while Tibetans outside Tibet will know only a life lived in exile,” he said.

“So to sustain the movement, it is imperative for the elder generation of Tibetans to pass on their knowledge of Tibet’s history and culture to the younger generation,” he added.

Sikyong also spoke on the progress made by the 14th Kashag in terms of the international support for the Tibetan cause, Middle Way Policy of seeking genuine autonomy for Tibet, and the initiatives of the Central Tibetan Administration to restore freedom and dignity for the Tibetan people.

Over a dozen young Tibetan research scholars from across India are taking part in the two-day conference, organised by the Tibet Policy Institute from 21-22 October. The scholars, most of whom are pursuing their doctoral studies from major universities in India, will share their research findings on issues related to the broad theme, ‘Tibet and Tibetans: Prospects and Challenges‘.

Research papers presented at the conference will look into the broad subjects of China’s internal problems, role of social media in the Tibetan struggle, Tibet and China’s environmental issues, legitimacy of China’s rule, Tibetan resistance movement, preserving Tibetan cultural and religious identity in the face of oppression and modernity, China’s economic policies and infrastructure development in Tibet, the issue of Tibet from Indian and western perspectives, and prospects for the Tibetan struggle and the exile community among others.