Dharamshala: Central Tibetan Administration today organised a brief ceremony to celebrate India’s 70th Republic Day at the Kashag Secretariat. Members of the Kashag and senior officials of the Tibetan administration attended the ceremony.
As CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay is currently on an official visit to Japan, officiating President Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang, Kalon of the Department of Home, hoisted the Indian national flag.
Addressing the media following the flag hoisting, officiating President Kalon Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang said: “I would like to congratulate and convey the greetings of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people to India on this auspicious occasion on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950.”
“We Tibetans are extremely grateful to the people and government of India as a whole for their generous support for all these years,” he added.
Responding to a media query about the whether Tibetans will celebrate India’s Republic Day in Tibet, Kalon Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang said: “Hopefully we can celebrate it.”
Following the brief ceremony at Kashag, Kalon Karma Yeshi took part in the official ceremony organised by the local Indian administration of Kangra district at the police ground in lower Dharamshala. Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok of the Tibetan Parliament and a representative from CTA were also present at the ceremony.
The chief guest at the police ground ceremony was Shri Govind Singh Thakur, Forest Minister along with Portfolios of Transport and Youth Services & Sports of Himachal Pradesh.
Kalon Karma Yeshi also visited the war memorial and placed wreaths in honour of the fallen soldiers of India.