DHARAMSHALA: Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay and thousands of local Tibetans and monks attended the 23rd anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, at Drepung monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka state.

The function started with a minute’s silence in memory of all those Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for Tibet.

Addressing the ceremony, His Holiness thanked all the guests for coming to the celebration especially Shri Ashok Singhal whom he referred to as a close friend and a long time supporter of the Tibet cause.

His Holiness said, since taking the political leadership of Tibet at the age of 16, he saw lots of short comings in the Tibetan governance system but he couldn’t implement much reforms because Tibet came under Chinese occupation at that time.

After coming into exile, we instantly started the democratization process of the Tibetan administration. We had the first directly elected Kalon Tripa of Tibet, Prof Samdhong Rinpoche in 2001, His Holiness said.

And in 2011, we had our third directly elected Kalon Tripa. During the election for our third Kalon Tripa, I realised that the Tibetan people’s awareness and enthusiasm for the democratic system has greatly increased and therefore I devolved all my political authority to Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the democratically elected leader, His Holiness said.

My decision to retire from politics was not because I felt hopeless or discouraged about the Tibetan situation, His Holiness stressed.

Speaking to the school children, His Holiness said that the children are the future stakeholders of Tibet.

We suffered because of the lack of modern education in Tibet but modern education alone is not sufficient, we need traditional values too, His Holiness added.

Pandit Nehru took full responsibility to establish separate schools for us. Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay is the perfect role model who was born and brought up in India in these schools, who later went to Harvard, His Holiness exclaimed.

Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay paid the Kashag’s obeisance to His Holiness on the occasion and extended CTA’s warmest greetings to all Tibetans and friends of Tibet.

Sikyong Dr Sangay also expressed the CTA’s undying gratitude to the people and government of India for their generosity, hospitality and assistance to the Tibetan refugees for these many years.

At the same time, he reiterated that we must focus our attention and concern on the current crisis engulfing Tibet. He said that the responsibility as well as the solution for the current crisis in Tibet lies with the Chinese government.

A written message from the president of Kalmyk Republic to His Holiness was read out by Telo Rinpoche on the occasion. A silver globe topped with a conch shell was also presented to His Holiness by His Eminence Gaden Tripa Rinpoche.

The chief guests at the ceremony were state MLA V S Patil and Shri Ashok Singhal, former president of VHP. Other guests at the ceremony include Imkongla Jamir, DC of Karwar district, the local superintendent of Police, abbots of the various monasteries etc.