CTA marks India’s 74th Republic Day
DHARAMSALA, 26 Jan: Central Tibetan Administration(CTA) marked India’s 74th Republic Day today by hoisting the tri-coloured Indian national flag at a brief ceremony held at its headquarters here.
Kalons(Ministers), Secretaries and senior officials of the CTA attended the ceremony and sang the Indian national anthem as the CTA President Penpa Tsering hoisted the tri-coloured Indian national flag.
“The Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people pay our respect to the great nation #India and rejoice alongside our Indian brothers and sisters in the spirit of Republic Day,” President Tsering tweeted.
“As we celebrate India’s republic day, it also gives us the hope of returning to our homeland,” he said as he briefly addressed the media.
He further called on Tibetans inside Tibet and particularly those across the diaspora to work collectively for the cause of Tibet rather than resorting to infighting and outfoxing each other.
Meanwhile, Thiksay Khenpo Rinpoche, the incumbent head of Thiksay Monastery in Ladakh became the third Buddhist monk to receive Padma Shri for his exceptional and distinguished service on the occasion of India’s 74th Republic Day.
Padma Shri also spelt Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan.
India has previously conferred Padma Shri to Prof. Geshe Ngawang Samten, the vice-chancellor of the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh and the late Dr Yeshi Dhonden, the former personal physician of the Tibetan spiritual leader in 2009 and 2018 respectively.
India’s Republic Day celebrates and marks the day when the Constitution of India officially came into force i.e on 26 January 1950. This historical act formally transitioned India to become an independent republic and hence it is celebrated on 26 January every year.
