TYC to spearhead social service programs at 34th Kalachakra initiation in Bodh Gaya

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Nov 18: Tibetan Youth Congress will take charge of the social service programs with 200 volunteers at the upcoming 34th Kalachakra initiation in Bodh Gaya, the organization announced earlier today at a press conference held at its headquarter in Dharamsala.

In line with its fine tradition of social service work at Kalachakra initiations, TYC has divided its volunteers into nine units to assist and offer its services to the devotees at the Kalachakra from Dec 23, 2016 – Jan 17, 2017, Tenzing Jigme, TYC President said.

The units are as follows:

Announcement center: One each near the arena of the Kalachakra initiation and the tent lodging area to make announcements about the itinerary of the Kalachakra proceedings, lost and found belongings of the devotees and to remind the devotees about their health and security.

Unit for newly arrived Tibetans from Tibet: This unit will provide round-the-clock assistance to them from securing their tents to working as an interpreter and attending to all their needs.

Emergency unit: To attend to the emergency needs of the devotees congregated at the initiation round the clock.

Reception unit: To receive devotees who are either first timer, aged or those who can’t speak Hindi from bus and train station round the clock to ensure their safety passage from the stations to the initiation site.

Unit for CTA’s aged and destitute people: To assist and attend to the needs of 1000 aged and destitute people attending the initiation whose expenses are taken care of by the Central Tibetan Administration.

Unit to guard tents of devotees: Security being a major concern at such a huge congregation, this unit will secure the tents of the devotees day and night.

Medical Unit: To provide first aid, seamlessly escort emergency cases to the hospital and provide interpreter assistance when needed.

Unit to provide assistance for final rites and cremation: To render services for final rituals and cremation of devotees who pass away at the initiation.

Special unit for aged devotees: To provide wheel chair services to aged devotees to and fro from the main venue of the initiation to the tent.

All the units will be supervised by a governing body member of the TYC and the volunteers will be wearing a special yellow vest with the emblem of the TYC at the back and identity number written on the chest.

The organization also launched two hotline numbers – 7261841877 & 9906827444- that will remain active round the clock to render assistance to the devotees at the initiation.