Sikyong Penpa Tsering Addresses Tibetans in Shiliguri

Dharamshala: After successfully concluding his official visit to Shillong, Sikyong Penpa Tsering egressed from Guwahati airport in the afternoon of 7 November 2024 to a warm welcome reception from Chief Representative Officer of Northeast Dorje Rigzin, Kalimpong Tibetan Settlement Officer Tseten, Gangtok Tibetan Settlement Officer Dhondup Sangpo, and Tibetan residents of the region.

Sikyong convened a gathering at the Salugara-based Sed-Gyued Institute of Buddhist Studies and addressed the Tibetan residents. Prior to that, the Tibetan Settlement Officer of Kalimpong presented the annual report of the settlement before gathering.

In his keynote speech, Sikyong stressed the Central Tibetan Administration’s firm commitment to adhereing to the policy of the Middle Way Approach to seeking a resolution to the Tibet-China conflict. Given the ongoing geopolitical shifts around the globe, Sikyong said that we must manoeuvre accordingly to the changes and strengthen our freedom struggle. Hence, he provided brief updates on the global issues concerning Tibet’s cause, including the recently held US election and the evolving political landscape in China, both domestically and internationally. Regarding the successive US legislation on Tibet, Sikyong said that these Acts dismiss China’s distorted narratives on Tibet.

At the same time, Sikyong alerted Tibetans of the CCP’s intensified attempts to destroy Tibet’s unique identity through large-scale indoctrination of children at state-run boarding schools and its nomenclature ruse to distort the facts of Tibet’s historical status. Sikyong emphasised the imperativeness of learning our own histories and legacies to maintain our threatened identity and recommended diving into the books of Prof. Michael van Walt Praag and Prof. Hon-Shiang Lau.

Sikyong also condemned China’s false claims about the right to recognise His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. Having said that, Sikyong highlighted the significance of Gaden Phodrang Institute in this complication.

In conclusion, Sikyong addressed the challenges faced by Tibetans in exile, acknowledging the difficulties brought about by changing circumstances from various angles.