Tibetan Youth Congress celebrating 50-year milestone with the first President Tenzin Geyche Tethong (3rd left) as the chief guest, at the TIPA auditorium in McLeod Ganj, India, on 7 October 2020. Vice President Lobsang Tsering speaks as President Gonpo Dhondup (2nd left), former president and Supreme Justice Commissioner Sonam Norbu Dagpo (2nd right), and Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile Pema Jungney look on. Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal
By Lobsang Wangyal
McLEOD GANJ, India, 7 October 2020
The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest and one of the oldest organisations of the Tibetans in exile, celebrated its 50th birthday, with the members pledging renewed commitment to the restoration of Tibetan independence.
It was on this day 50 years ago that ideas and efforts of four friends came together to form the Tibetan Youth Congress, with the Dalai Lama delivering the inaugural address. The founding members were Tenzin Geyche Tethong, Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, Sonam Topgyal, and Tenzin Namgyal Tethong. Tenzin Geyche Tethong was made the first President.
With more than 30,000 members in 80 regional chapters around the world, the TYC is the largest organisation struggling to restore Tibet’s independence, unlike the exile administration that seeks autonomy for Tibet.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the programme was scaled down to a modest event held today, in which Tenzin Geyche, the first president, attended as the chief guest, and delivered a speech.
The other surviving founding member Tenzin Namgyal addressed the gathering with a video message. President of the Central Tibetan Administration Lobsang Sangay, who is on a US tour, also appeared in a video message to address the gathering.
Other guests include former TYC president and current Supreme Justice Commissioner Sonam Norbu Dagpo; Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile Pema Jungney; and other former members and other guests.
Gonpo Dhundup, the current President of the organisation, spoke about the visions, commitments, and achievements of the TYC. “The biggest achievement is that TYC has sustained for the past 50 years despite the Chinese government trying every means to discredit and shut down the organisation, such as by charging that TYC is a terrorist organisation.”
Activities of the organisation include organising rallies and carrying out hunger strike protests, lobbying governments and NGOs, promoting awareness, and carrying out social works.
“TYC’s success story is due all to the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, support from the exile Tibetans, the trust reposed on TYC by millions of Tibetans in Tibet, and the hard work of all the members of the organisation.”
In his address, Tenzin Geyche said that the unity of the Tibetan people is what will make the Tibetan movement stronger, and noted, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks about unity. True long-life offering to His Holiness would be following his guidance.”
Artistes of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts presented traditional dance and music on the occasion, and a luncheon was given for the celebration.
A grand celebration is planned to be held on the same day next year, which the Dalai Lama is expected to attend as the chief guest. The organisers are hoping the pandemic situation will have subsided by then.
Hearty congratulations to TYC on its 50th birthday and my gratitude to its unselfish and meaningful service to the idea of reserection of Tibetan nation in the fields of social, cultural and above all political activism for the last 50 years of the TYC’s existence. The TYC hasn’t deviated from its core goal- to fight for Tibetan Independence and maintain the unity of the Tibetans by scrupulously keeping always from temptation of regional and sectarian Pull and push or jockeying for position of power as an organisation.
Needless to say that from inception TYC has been the trophy target of CCP. Over the years TYC had to endure attaches by some very influential Tibetan politicians in exile on the ground that TYC is an obstacle to the success of Umelam. The reality is that the fate of Umelam is entirely in the hands of CCP.
To blame TYC for its failure is something like when you are bullied by your boss at work place, you start to beat your wife at home, isn’t it?
If CCP wants Umelam to succeed it will be successful story. If CCP doesn’t want, Umelam can never to see the day of its birth.
Assuming independence as an impossibility, His Holiness picked Umelam out of a situation of no choices. Unfortunately as long as CCP is in China Umelam has no road ahead.
The mission of TYC is to see how it can create a situation where independence is a real alternative to more and more Tibetans. No doubt it is an enormously daunting task. ln the world impossibility happens from time to time and provide totally unexpected solutions.
Just think of the fall of mighty Soviet Communist Empire. We know who did it! Just think that Deng Xiaoping, the arch Communist, paved the way for capitalism in China in front of our eyes. Lee Teng Hui, a Kuomintang leader, stopped Kuomintang menace…
The TYC has worked very hard for the last fifty years to highlight the issue of Tibet. It’s been the only NGO which has spearheaded relentless activism for Tibet. The loudest voice of disprovable came from the the CCP when it was founded in 1970. Obviously, it felt threatened.
Over the years, it made headlines in activism for the Tibetan struggle as well as social work. During 1985 Kalachakra in Bodh Gaya, it was in the forefront of helping Tibetans who were taken ill, dead or locating lost people in the mammoth gathering. In that year there were few thousand Tibetans from Tibet as well.
It was highly respected and acknowledged by all and sundry as a political power in itself. However, as the shade of Tibetan struggle changed, it started to lose its gloss. It’s stand on independence for Tibet had fallen foul with the policy of the CTA.
With S RInpoche’s policy of “legitimising” Chinese rule in return for autonomy, some Regional Chapters revolted against the CENTREX and splintered the TYC. Over night, the TYC became a casualty of the Ume-Lam proposal from which it has not recovered fully. A very important institution of the exile community was disowned and banished for good to please the CCP.
The CCP achieved its purpose of destroying the TYC but the autonomy which was hoped for is now in tatters. Even the most ardent supporters are weary of openly declaring themselves as U-lampas except discreetly out of fear of offending the Dalai Lama.
The violent suppression of Hong Kong’s autonomy exposed the illusion of Ume-Lam proposal. Now, there is neither autonomy nor parley with China nor the passed glory of the TYC. However, the silver lining is, the TYC’s stand for complete independence for Tibet is vindicated by the tragic events in Hong Kong.