Tibetan Independence day marked with Majestic Walk in Dharamsala
DHARAMSALA, 13 Feb: Tibetans and Tibet supporters in Dharamsala marked the 110th anniversary of the declaration of Tibetan independence with a street showcase “Majestic Walk”.
The event organized by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)-India saw Tibetan activists in a colourful Parade across Mcleod Ganj, the exile headquarters of the Tibertan peopleparade in their distinctive traditional attires during the ‘Majestic Walk’ to showcase the unique Tibetan culture and to celebrate and experience the sensation of Tibet’s Independence.
“The celebration of the historic day in itself is a sign of resistance against the Chinese government,” Rinzin Choedon, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet-India said and added, “while we celebrate the 110th anniversary of the declaration of Tibetan independence by His Holiness the 13th Dalai lama on 13 Feb 1913 with the Majestic Walk to showcase the Tibetan Cultural Resistance, it is also being marked with different themes across the world.”
Tashi Dorjee, a local Tibetan said that he closed his shop today to be part of the celebration of the historic day.
The SFT maintained that the ‘Majestic Walk’ is very popular in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo. It is normally celebrated on the 16th day of the Monlam(prayer) festival by local Tibetans as a ‘Cultural Resistance’.
At its core, it is a way of reclaiming our community and national identity and celebrating the unique inheritance of our proud ancestors.
Since 13 Feb 2013, which marked the centennial of the proclamation of Tibetan independence made by the great thirteenth Dalai Lama, 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.
