The Tibet Museum Participate in the Migration and Exile Event in Amritsar

The mobile exhibition of the Tibet Museum, ‘A Long Look Homeward,’ was inaugurated by Mr K S Sangha, District Commissioner of Amritsar at an opening ceremony organised jointly by Mahja House, a non-profit NGO based in Amritsar and The Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar. The district commissioner was welcomed by Mr RMS Chhina, the chairman of the Indian Academy of Fine Arts.

The District Commissioner was greeted by Thubten Samphel, director of the Tibet Policy Institute with a traditional Tibetan katag and was requested to cut the ribbon to open ‘A long look homeward to the public. Later he was shown around the exhibition by Rinchen Dorjee who explained to the district commissioner the details of the exhibition, this included Tibet before occupation and the destruction brought about by the Chinese invasion of Tibet.

There was a panel discussion moderated by Sanjoy Hazarika. The panelists were Dr. Sarbjot Singh Behl, Dean Student Welfare, GNDU,Psychological Impact of Partition by Dr. Anirudh Kala, Psychiatrist & Author, Escape from Tibet by Thubten Samphel, Director Tibet Policy Institute and Flight at the Cuckoo’s Behest by Dorjee Wangdi, author and architect. Mr Sanjoy Hazarika, International Director CHRI, spoke on the topic of Sikhs in transition in Assam and Shillong.

The panel discussion lasted for more than two hours. The discussion was held before a packed hall consisting of officials of Amritsar city, scholars, reporters and interested young people of the city. Dr Arvinder Singh Chamak, honorary secretary of Indian Academy of Fine Arts said that this was the first exchange between the city of Amritsar and the Tibetan community on such pressing issues as migration and exile. He said that he would like the Indian Academy of Fine Arts to expand on this relationship.

A Long Look Homeward will be open to the people of Amritsar from 18 to 20 August. The exhibition is jointly organised by the Tibet Museum of Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Mahja House and The Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar.