COVID-19 dampens golden jubilee celebration of TYC

DHARAMSALA, 7 Oct: The first President of the Tibetan Youth Congress(TYC) today called for unity among exiled Tibetans as TYC marked its golden jubilee celebration here in the exile headquarters of the Tibetan people.

“If the sizeable Tibetans in exile can not live in unity, it’s a shame,” said former Kalon (Kasur)Tethong Tenzin Geyche.

Kasur Tethong Tenzin Geyche along with late Kasur Gyari Lodoe Gyaltsen, Kalon Trisur Tethong Tenzin Namgyal and late Kalon Trisur Sonam Topgyal were the founding members of TYC, the largest Tibetan non-governmental organization in exile.

Gonpo Dhundup, the current President of TYC highlighted the significance of TYC as an organization in the Tibetan struggle for freedom and contributions it has made since its humble beginnings 50 years ago in 1970.

With the “fundamental interest of the Tibetan people” at the core, he said, “TYC has been able to project strong capability to carry forward the Tibetan struggle and that it is the reason why even the communist Chinese enemy has been especially targeting the Tibetan Youth Congress, trying to label it as a terrorist organization and seeing it as a thorn lodged in its eyes.”

“That, in turn, explains the reason why communist China has employed direct, indirect, and every other possible means, as well as taken recourse to a hundred strategies and a thousand tactics in all sorts of imaginable moves directed at destroying the Tibetan Youth Congress,” the TYC President added.

In view of Covid-19 restrictions, the curtailed event took place at the auditorium of the Tibetan Institute of the Performing Arts.

“Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic that sprang from China late last year and spread across the world,  holding a large gathering of people was rendered most difficult. Hence the preparatory committee has decided to postpone the main event by a year,” he said and concluded by promising to continue to work hard and with exerted efforts of selfless and fortitude both at the centre and the organisation’s regional chapters.

“So long as Tibet does not regain its Independence, we reaffirm our resolve with resolute determination to abide by our oath to work for the fulfilment of our four founding objectives as we continue our struggle for achieving the just cause of Tibet.”

In other speeches: 

• Speaker Pema Jungney applauded TYC for its social service to the community, campaign and service for the Tibetan cause. He further declared TYC a meaningful organization.
  
  
• CTA President in a prerecorded address called TYC the most successful Tibetan organization in exile. Having involved with the organization during his younger days, he credited the organization for playing a crucial role in developing him as a leader.
  

• Former President of TYC and the Chief Justice Commissioner of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission Dagpo Sonam Norbu called on the organization to spread political awareness among the Tibetan youth and to organize more political campaigns.

The event also saw the four founding members of the TYC being felicitated with the award while the organization also launched its golden jubilee logo and a photographic history book of TYC. 

TYC, the organisation that advocates the independence of Tibet from China was founded on 7 October in 1970.

It has now grown into 88 regional chapters across the world with more than 35,000 members.