Dehradun: Under the lead and guidance of the Department of Education, CTA, the Literary and Cultural Meet of Tibetan Schools in Dehradun commenced at Tibetan Homes School, Mussoorie, on 6 October 2023.

Tibetan Circuit Justice Commissioner Lhodruk presided as the chief guest, along with the guests, Head of the Academic Section at the Department of Education, Tenzin Dorjee; Principal of Sambhota Tibetan School, Mussoorie Thakchoe Tsering; and Principal of Tibetan Homes School, Mussoorie Dr. Pasang Dhondup. It was also attended by the principals and staff of the neighbouring schools, judges, participating students and teachers, and students above class 6 from Tibetan Homes School, Mussoorie.

Chief Guest Circuit Justice Commissioner Lhodruk briefed the gathering on the Chinese government’s oppressive policies undermining Tibetan language and culture, such as reducing the number of Tibetan classes to once a week in Tibetan schools, exposing them to Chinese reeducation campaigns in the past, denying opportunities to learn Tibetan language completely in recent times, and separating Tibetan children from their parents. He added that in order to counter the consequences of these repressive measures, Tibetan schools in exile must instill in students the necessity of the preservation of Tibetan language and culture, and students must serve the Central Tibetan Administration and Tibetan community after completing their education funded by the government. Furthermore, he underscored the importance of participation in debates during school.

Head of the Academic Section at the Department of Education, Tenzin Dorjee, stated in his address that the objective of the interschool literary and cultural meet, which he explained was to facilitate the development of students’ literary skills and serve as a platform for the exchange of experience to enhance students’ skills and capacities. Stressing the importance of participation over winning, he urged the students to put all their efforts into the tasks and learn from the experience of others.

On the first day, following the inaugural ceremony, debates and poetry recitations in Tibetan and English were conducted. After each activity, judges gave their feedback on areas of improvement. The second day was marked by speech, singing, and dance competitions, followed by the concluding ceremony.

142 students and 14 teachers from Sambhota Tibetan School Mussoorie, Sambhota Tibetan School Herbertpur, Tibetan Homes School Mussoorie, Tibetan Homes School Rajpur, Tibetan Homes Foundation Dickyiling, Tibetan Homes School Ghorimafi, and TCV Selakui are attending the meet. Global Affairs Canada is funding the programme.