Dalai Lama receives the White Lotus Order

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Dalai Lama receives the White Lotus Order-the highest civilian honour of the Russian Republic of Kalmykia
Phayul[Sunday, December 10, 2006 18:46]
By Phurbu Thinley
Phayul Correspondent

His Holiness with Kalmyk President and V.S. Mankotia, Indian parliamentarian (http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/919/0612100652220ejq5.jpg). (Photo by Tenzin Dasel)


Dharamsala, December 10 - While the day can be commemorated as the 58th Anniversary of World Human Rights Day, for Tibetans it marks the 17th auspicious anniversary of the conferment of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (in 1989). But this year there is one more special reason for Tibetans to celebrate the day in complete delight.

In a special ceremony held here today, coinciding the special occasion of the day, the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama was presented the White Lotus Order, the highest civilian award of the Russia’s Republic of Kalmykia, by its President Mr. Kirsan Nikolayevich llyumzhinov.

The grand ceremony was celebrated with Tibetan, local Indian and Kalmykian artists presenting their respective cultural songs and dances.

The award is bestowed upon His Holiness for his outstanding merits and considerable contribution for the prosperity and the revival of spirituality in the Republic country.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama on accepting the award with great humility said that the award is a collective recognition to the innate compassionate nature of the Tibetan people that is so deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhist culture.

“This award is for all of us” His Holiness told the people gathered at the ceremony here today.

His Holiness also thanked the Kalmykian President for his consistent effort to revive and strengthen spirituality in his country and added “I am a personal witness to his unfailing endeavour in this regard”.

In his brief speech before finally presenting the award to His Holiness, Kalmykian President said, “At a time when our long shared cultural and spiritual values are endangered by hostile factors, there is an urgent need to come together hand in hand to preserve and promote them”.

Later meeting separately with media people, Mr. llyumzhinov assured exiled Tibetan community of continued support and cooperation in the cultural and spiritual spheres and in terms of economic assistance.

In his introductory speech, Mr. Vijay Singh Mankotia, Former Minister of Himmachal State and presently a parliamentarian expressed greetings and salutation to His Holiness on behalf of the Chief Minister and the people of the State for the honour that is being bestowed upon him.

While welcoming the Republic’s high level delegation, led by their President and Chairman of Kalmyki’s Congress, Mr. Kichikov Igor, to the hill town, Tibetan Prime Minister in exile, Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche expressed appreciation to the delegation members for conferring the award to His Holiness.

Rinpoche described the award as a testimony to the close ties Tibetans and described the award a testimony member Kalmyks have enjoyed since ancient times and said it will serve as a source of immense encouragement to the Tibetans in and outside Tibet.

Speaking of the importance of the day in terms of Human Rights concerns, Rinpoche touched the latest tragic incident on the Nangpa La pass in which Chinese border guards shot at innocent Tibetans fleeing into exile and also raised concerns over the continuing transfer of Chinese into Tibetans territories.

The latest award comes in line with the conferment of Canada’s Honorary Citizenship to His Holiness earlier this year and the Bill passed to award US Congressional Gold Medal.

Two other major events are to follow later in the evening here today. While special founding anniversary programme is being organized by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), the only Tibetan NGO working within the premise of human rights and democracy, marking its ten years of existence, International Himalaya Festival initiated by the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society will be held as usual at the main temple.
Dalai Lama with Kalmyk President and V.S. Mankotia and some monks (http://www.phayul.com/images/news/articles/0612100706453X.jpg).

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Phayul[Sunday, December 10, 2006 16:43]
By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correspondent

Kathmandu, December 8 - A video speech of His Holiness the Dalai Lama especially given to Tibetans of Samdupling Tibetan Refugee Camp (http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/1293/061210045238hewq9.jpg) was shown at the Jwalakhel Handicraft Center of the camp in Jwalakhel area of Lalitpur District in Kathmandu Valley today after the presentation of annual report of the camp and the handicraft center.

The message was specially requested for Tibetans of Jwalakhel by the head of the camp Mr. Tsering Dhondup La. Following is the transcript of the of the message of His Holiness, "I would like to thank you all for your hard work, we are refugee living away from our homeland, so we need to work hard and not just pray to get any result, so it is important for all to continue their endeavor, along with that don’t lose heart, we are refugees and not residents here, we all hope to unite with our homeland and we will prevail in the pursuit of our fight for truth, all Tibetans until now have been preserving their identity and it is very good and you should all continue your enthusiasm and never forget the common cause of all Tibetans, along with maintaining your condition of livelihood, you should also accumulate prayers like mani and bendzaguru and tamdrin that would help the cause of Tibetan struggle, Tibetans are considered humble and well mannered all over the world, it is an invaluable quality of Tibetans and it is very important not to lose that quality, so elders should teach that to youngster and set an example, you should get modern education and give importance to Tibetan, and it is important not just to be Buddhist but also study Buddhism, keep that in mind; in Nepal there are many political changes but Tibetans are doing well, Jwalakhel camp has good conditions and I would like to extend my greetings to all of you".

There are over 20,000 Tibetans and many Buddhist of Himalayan Regions living in Nepal but His Holiness has been so far able to visit only once in 1980's due to difficult political situation in Nepal; people hope that there would be time when He would be able to visit Nepal. Until now all the Buddhist religious activities have been carried out in Nepal by important Tibetan lamas like His Eminence Sakya Daktri Rinpoche, Dema Lochoe Rinpoche, Penor Rinpoche, Trulshik Rinpoche etc.

The Samdupling (Jwalakhel) Tibetan Refugee Camp is one of the oldest Tibetan refugee settlement in Nepal established in 1960 under the aid of Red Cross Society. To create a source of livelihood for Tibetans, the Jwalakhel Handicraft Center was established in 1962, the center has been producing hand knotted Tibetan carpets for the past 46 years, at present there are 228 people working at the center and there are over 1500 Tibetans living in the Jwalakhel area. Those who have family members working at the center are benefited with housing, Losar gift and bonus. Tibetans living in Jwalakhel camp have some source of livelihood whereas other Tibetans living in Kathmandu have to find their own livelihood and there is no particular government manufacturing or business unit left after the change in the economic policy of the Tibetan Government in Exile. We need to see how the Government would create job opportunities to rising number of unemployed graduates and it is coincidental or pretty weird to see that similar unemployment problem is also rising for Tibetans in Tibet.