Kalachakra organizing committee thanks India, questions China on religious freedom claims

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Jan 5: The organizing committee of the 34th Kalachakra lauded Bihar’s state and district government for their boundless support and condemned the Chinese government for restraining Tibetans inside Tibet from attending the Kalachakra initiation by confiscating and cancelling their travel permits.

“Boundless support from Bihar’s state and district government has made it possible for us to successfully organize the 34th Kalachakra initiation here in Gaya, we are forever grateful for that,” Ven. Karma Gelek Youthok, Religion and Culture Kalon and Chairman of the Kalachakra organizing committee said at a press conference held yesterday.

Saddened by the Chinese Government’s move to order Tibetan pilgrims from inside Tibet who have reached Nepal and India to return immediately or face severe punishment and confiscate passports of those who are to make the pilgrim to Gaya for the Kalachakra initiation, Ven. Karma Gelek Youthok, while condemning the Chinese government questioned, “Where is the religious freedom the Chinese government claims that they give to Tibetans inside Tibet?”

Tibetans barred by the Chinese government to attend the Kalachakra initiation, however, find a solace in His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s special message to them.

“I will visualize you all in the initiation mandala and you will definitely receive the empowerment through the power of faith,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said earlier in New Delhi at a special audience he gave to some Tibetans who were ordered to return by the Chinese Government.

To accumulate collective merit for the long life of the Dalai Lama, the committee appealed to the devotees to resort to vegetarian diets during the Kalachakra.

“An estimation of 3 lakh devotees was expected to attend the teaching, but many Tibetans from inside Tibet and foreign countries couldn’t make it to the initiation. Devotees from as many as 80 different countries have congregated at Gaya,” Vice Chairperson of the organizing committee and Health Kalon, Choechung Wangchuk said while responding to queries.