Dharamsala: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile, and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile jointly organised a prayer meeting and peace march in Dharamsala on Thursday to mark the 49th day since Tibetan activist Lobsang Palden (Lobga Rangzen) made the ultimate sacrifice.
The march began at Tsuglagkhang in McLeod Ganj. It concluded at the Dharamsala Police Ground, with large numbers of Tibetan community members, representatives of the exile administration, and Tibet supporters participating.
Speaking to IANS, CTA President (Sikyong) Penpa Tsering said the event was not only a tribute to Lobsang Palden but also a peaceful protest against Chinese policies that, he alleged, seek to undermine Tibetans’ distinct cultural, religious and linguistic identity.
Tsering said Palden had self-immolated in protest against what he described as continued Chinese repression and the recently implemented law promoting “ethnic unity and progress”. He said the 49th day holds special significance in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, marking the completion of the 49-day intermediate period, or “bardo”, following death.
According to Tsering, the law’s stated objective of promoting unity masks what the CTA considers an attempt to “Sinicise” Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongols and other officially recognised ethnic minorities in China. He alleged that Beijing is attempting to assimilate diverse communities by weakening their languages, cultures, religious traditions and distinct identities.
Tsering stressed that the CTA does not support self-immolation as a form of protest, calling every loss of a Tibetan life an “irreparable loss” to the movement. He said the campaign would continue through peaceful and democratic means.
The programme began with a two-hour prayer session at Tsuglagkhang Temple, where tributes were paid to Tibetans who had died in the struggle and solidarity was expressed with their families.
Tsering also said Tibetan communities in several countries had launched peaceful campaigns since early July. He claimed that Uyghur, Mongolian and pro-democracy Chinese groups had also participated, reflecting shared concerns over assimilation policies.
He further claimed that several countries, including the US, UK, Australia and Switzerland, had expressed concern over the new Chinese law. The European Parliament has also criticised the legislation, according to the CTA.
Tsering reiterated that the Tibetan movement would remain committed to protecting Tibet’s culture, language, religious freedom and identity through peaceful means.
(IANS)
