Tibetans in exile in Shimla celebrated the 63rd anniversary of ‘Democracy Day’ on Saturday. The Central Tibetan Administration’s office arranged a program to commemorate the occasion.
The elected representatives of the Tibetan government-in-exile’s local assembly, officers of the Central Tibetan Administration, schoolchildren, and representatives of Tibetan NGOs took part in the Shimla Democracy Day program.
Tibetans commemorate the day by singing the Tibetan and Indian national anthems and praying to the 14th Dalai Lama. The Tibetan deputies and officers also recited the declarations of the Tibetan parliament in exile and Kashag on this occasion.
“The His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a person who has given us the right to practice democracy in exile. As soon as he took the political role of the Tibetan he tried to give democracy.
“Later he denounced his political powers and said that the elected representatives of Tibet should Take the lead,” said Teswang Phuntsok, Chief Representative Officer of Tibetan administration at Shimla.
“We are celebrating 63rd Democracy Day across the world except from inside Tibet. We also pay our gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has set up this democratic system for us. We have a democratic system like an independent nation. In celebration of this special day we all Tibetans hope to return home to Tibet one day,” he added.