Dharamshala, India: - On January 30, a group of four people; Namgal Dolkar Lhagyari, Joe Hamilton from Germany and Tashi Namgyal and Ven Konchok Norbu from Ladakh have completed their one monk walk campaign from Bodhgaya, Bihar State to Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. With presenting Mr. Penpa Tsering, the speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, the group held a press conference in Dharamshala on Monday.
"It has been more than half a century since the Chinese invaded and occupied the homeland of our mothers and fathers, Tibet. I, Namgal Dolkar Lhagyari, being a third generation Tibetan in Exile, have the responsibility of abiding to the aims and duties of our nation," said Namgayl in a statement on behalf of the group. "We have been fortunate to find refuge in India and receive education under the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and we have the responsibility to fulfill His Dreams and live up to the expectations of our forefathers. To fight for our rights prudently, to have vision for the restoration of our independence, and to practice freedom of expression, are the basic principles of our people in this 21st century."
"Since the brutal incursion in 1950,the Red Chinese have killed more than 1.2 million Tibetans and destroyed around 6000 holy monasteries which were established for more than a thousand years. Massive immigration of mollies of Han Chinese in Tibet has resulted in the fading away of Tibetan identity and unique culture. The nationwide uprisings in 1959,1989 and in 2008all followed by brutal crackdowns, show both the pressure under which Tibetans are forced to live but also their determination to end the occupation of their sacred homeland.
The guidance from the accomplishment of the Great Dharma kings of Tibet, and the sacrifices of the countless Martyrs of our nation have constantly been a source of inspiration to all of us and this is evident from the recent self immolations by Tibetans in Tibet which have added the urgency to all of our actions and we know that it is simply now or never.
Recently I was able to visit Europe at the invitation of Joe Hamilton and his family. My first stop on the trip was in Dachau, a small city near Munich in Southern Germany. This is the site of the fist concentration camp that was built by Hitler and the Nazis in 1933; this was the closest I had been to relate to the pain of the political prisoners in Tibet and an opportunity for me to deepen my understanding of how history is sadly repeating itself at the cost of Tibet and its people. So many things I saw there reminded me of details my father had disclosed to me about his more than twenty years of imprisonment; the torture, pain, fear ,hunger and cold. I remember seeing and touching the deep scars on his wrists and ankles because of the simple fact of being confined to a small place and chained 24hours a day in his hands and feet.
For all of these reasons I have decided to use my freedom of movement and initiate this Walk of faith for peace and freedom in Tibet. Very recently, I attained Indian citizenship which has given me even more opportunities to serve my people. Being an Indian citizen could never erase the Tibetan within me or my duty toward Tibet and my ancestors.
Therefore, this Walk if faith is a walk to compete the prayers of His Holiness, a Walk to follow the footsteps of my father a Walk to explain the trauma of Tibet, a Walk of justice, a Walk to honor the dedication if the Tibetan martyrs and a walk to reunite the Tibetan people.
The Walk vegan on the 9th Jan from Bosh-Gaya during the Kalachakra after a special audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama who gave us blessing in the form of His presence and His encouraging words. We have completed the walk which started from Bodh-Gaya to other holy sites of Buddhist across India and Nepal namely; Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini. While we proceed with our Walk, the main activities we have done were arranging a series of Buddhist virtuous actions such as offerings ,prayers, purification, giving alms in charity, releasing lives and so on.
Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the head ornament of the samsara and may his prayers and wishes for all of us come true and may the sincerity and fortitude of Tibet and its martyrs forever flourish."
You can reach Namgyal Dolkar Lhagyari at (+91) 812.2876 and Joe Hamilton (+91) 812.2638
