Dharamshala: After concluding his engagements with the Tibetan community in Tawang, Sikyong Penpa Tsering met and interacted with state and district officials of Arunachal Pradesh on 11 November 2022 before leaving for Shillong.
Expressing appreciation to Central Tibetan Administration and other major Tibetan institutions for imparting shared cultural and religious education to the Monpa youths, Deputy Commissioner Kesang Ngurup Dama of West Tameng, in his introductory remarks, underlined the ongoing Sikyong’s official visit to the region as an instrumental in strengthening the close relationship between the two community.
In his address, Sikyong extended gratitude to the leaders and people of Arunachal for according elaborate reception. Highlighting concerns over the dwindling Tibetan population in exile, he underscored collaboration between the two communities in preserving common cultural heritages to the assemblage of local officials amassed at Zomkhang hall in Tawang.
Sikyong further gave a brief account of the CTA’s structure and functionings and accredited His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the Government of India for building such a robust exile community.
Apart from that, Sikyong informed the gathering about the ongoing adversaries that the Tibetans inside Tibet are facing because of the Chinese Communist Party’s brutal and self-serving policies. Specifically, he spoke concisely on the issue of His Holiness’ reincarnation while expressing concerns over Beijing’s prospective intervention. In the same vein, he also talked about the disturbances caused by the Chinese government on Tibet’s sacred environment, particularly the river system, that will affect downstream regions, including Arunachal and Assam.
Before concluding, Sikyong urged the gathering to be vigilant about China’s threats to the democratic and just society of the world.
The interaction was wrapped up with a vote of thanks from Jambey Wangdi, a Chairman of the Department of Karmic and Aadhyamic Affairs.