Tibetan Independence day marked in Dharamsala
By Lobsang Tenchoe
DHARAMSALA, Feb 14: Tibetans and Tibet supporters in Dharamsala marked the 105th anniversary of the declaration of Tibetan independence at an event held on Feb 13 by highlighting the Tibetan National anthem(Gyallu) as a symbol of Tibet’s independent past and national identity.
The event organized by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)-India near Tsuglakhang, the Dalai Lama’s Temple in Dharamsala included a day-long exhibition and a musical night to celebrate Tibetan Independence Day.
The theme for the 105th anniversary of the declaration of Tibetan independence was “Stand for the Tibetan National Anthem” to mark this important day and to highlight the Tibetan people’s vision for a free and democratic Tibet.
“The Tibetan national anthem is one of those irrefutable elements that supplement the fact of Tibet’s independence. We highlight the Tibetan national anthem, the stone pillar of the Tibet-China Treaty of 821-822 AD, the Tibetan national flag among others so that China’s claim of Tibet being historically a part of China is not only objected but proven wrong,” said Tenzin Tselha, SFT National Director.
“A worldwide commemoration of this day will help renew our spirits and hope for the return of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to his rightful place in the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet,” the organizers said on commemorating Tibetan independence day.
Apart from SFT-India’s day-long exhibition and musical night, parallel campaigns and activities were carried out all over the world by Tibetans and pro-Tibet activists as well.
On Feb 13, 2013, Tibetans across the world marked the centennial of the proclamation of Tibetan independence made by the great thirteenth Dalai Lama in 1913. Since 2013, Tibetans and supporters have been commemorating Feb 13 as Tibetan Independence Day to counter China’s claim that Tibet was historically a part of China.
