Buddhist rally to voice demands of Buddhist community in Siliguri

7:14 AM

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Siliguri

SNS  | Siliguri | March 26, 2018: The All Bengal Buddhist Development Committee is scheduled to take out a “mega peace (silent) rally” from Darjeeling More to Airview More here on 1 April.

Organisers said the rally is meant to voice the demands pertaining to the Buddhist community at large.

The listed set of demands of the committee are nomination of two members from the Hills and the Terai to the West Bengal Minority Commission, immediate formation of a Buddhist development board for protection of Buddhist culture and education, the Central government ensuring the administrative board of Bodh Gaya to the Buddhists, ensuring regular running of trains for pilgrimage at Bodh Gaya, nomination of a representative in the national minority commission, a Buddhist university in the Terai-Hills, central Buddhist station be named as Buddhist special, expansion of railway lines from Gaya to Bodh Gaya station, preservation of Buddhist universities, preservation and renovation of ancient caves, installation of the statue of the Buddha at Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Station, a Buddhist academy in North Bengal, and inclusion of Pali- Tibetan languages in North Bengal University syllabus.

Committee general secretary Akash Lama said the rally is meant to unite the Buddhist community. “We are marching in a peace rally on 1 April to make our voices heard by the state and the central governments,” he said.

“One of our demands was met by the CM (Mamata Banerjee) last year to declare Buddha Jayanti a public holiday. It had been our demand since long, and we are very grateful to her,” Mr lama added.

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Nepal Disallows Celebration of HH Dalai Lama's Birthday

11:39 PM

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international news

6th July 2016 The Songtsen Brikuti School in Boudhanath in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu where the Tibetan community was scheduled to celebrate the 81st birthday of the Dalai Lama was swarmed by Nepalese police early this morning, disrupting the celebrations and even detaining close to 30 Tibetans including the Tibetan Settlement Officer. The celebratory event was forced to be canceled.

The developments came as a surprise move by the police, considering the fact that proper permission had earlier been granted by concerned Nepalese authorities for the celebratory function, according to a source who wish to remain anonymous. The source further adds that, “the Police threatened the Tibetan people to leave the venue immediately or else face detention.” Currently, the detained Tibetans are being held at the Brikuti Mandap police station in Boudha area.

Nepal Disallows Celebration of HH Dalai Lama's Birthday

The Nepalese police blocked the main gate to the school and were seen nudging and shoving Tibetans instructing them to abandon the event. Pema, a Tibetan youth living in Boudha, who was at the venue spoke with Phayul about the situation and described the incident as “hellish”. “Anyone who is wearing Tibetan dress or wearing monastic robes is detained in the vicinity. We were merely celebrating the birthday of our beloved leader, it is not political. Besides, the same police were smiling and accepting our help and donations during the earth quake last year when Tibetans and Nepalese people were working together for relief efforts in the aftermath. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion has turned into a sad one,” Pema lamented.

The birthday celebration is an important date in the calendar for the Tibetans and more so for the Tibetan refugees who are increasingly targeted by the police under pressure from China.

Nepal which is home to more than 20,000 Tibetans who either came across the border or were born to settlers, are finding it hard to sustain a free and normal existence. The Nepalese government’s treatment of the Tibetan refugees has taken a turn for the worse in the last few years with China pumping in cheap interest loans and relaxed FDR (Foreign Direct Investment) schemes in exchange for its will to be imposed. China’s FDR in Nepal has shot to $128 million in 2015 up from $24 million in 2014 besides perks such as a fleet of Mercedes SUVs.

The Nepalese government has publicly spoken on the issue when Nepal's foreign minister, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, earlier during a visit to Beijing in March, said that they, “will never allow any forces to use Nepali territory to engage in anti-China activity."

With China gaining the upper hand in controlling the moors in the tiny Himalayan nation replacing India with the promise of riches, the Tibetans who set foot on Nepalese soil decades ago are once again subjected to thinly veiled wrath of China.

SHAME ON NEPAL!!

[Info via: Phayul]

Via TheDC

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Darjeeling monastry to receive Buddha statue from Thailand

9:46 AM

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international news

A 31-member delegation from Thailand will present a bronze Buddha statue to a monastery in Darjeeling on October 26 as part of a philanthropic endeavour.

File photo: Buddha statue

The Thai delegation is scheduled to arrive in Darjeeling on October 25 accompanied by Indian ambassador to Thailand Harsha Vardhan Shringla.

Darjeeling Eastern Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association (DEHBCA) S.L.Palzor said on Wednesday:  “One of our members in Delhi was informed about some people from Thailand wanting to donate a

statue of Buddha in India. He referred the name of Dichen TashiCholing Gumba located at Gopal Dhura in Singtam Darjeeling which was then approved by the Indian Ambassador to Thailand”.

Besides the Buddha statue, the Thai delegation will also present two statues of revered monks to the Singtam tea estate monastery. “The presentation of the statues from Thailand to the Singtam monastery is being coordinated by the Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association,” said Palzor.

It is learnt that the monastery has Singtam did not have a proper statue. However when the proposal was made the monastery committee accepted it in the hope that it would benefit the devotees of the area who flock to offer prayer.

Source:EOI

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