The Mega Concert of the year 2007

The last few days, everyone could witness all over Mcleod the posters advertising “ The Biggest Music Concert of 2007” with the poster choc a bloc with about 16 artists who would be performimg on the day of the concert—the 4th day of losar.

Everybody was quite excited about the show because it looked like a grand show. Losar at Dhasa is quite a boring affair. In fact, Mcleod looked more alive and exciting the 2 or 3 days before losar. The streets were full with all kinds of people shopping for losar and sellers selling every kind of things…most from Tibet selling Chinese clothes, shoes, bags, sweets etc.

It’s quite ironical to see these things of Chinese origin being sold and bought with great glee right under the nose of the Tibetan govt. in exile and the office of the TYC. And the funniest thing was both the buyers and sellers are of Tibetan origin. Maybe this can also be considered as a step towards maintaining an atmosphere for peace negotiations to go forward between Tibetan govt. in exile and the Peoples Republic of China!!

The three days of losar was quite uneventful affair ;maybe because we couldn’t get the blessing of His Holiness. So, everyone was quite excited about this musical concert. No one minded much about the 100 Rs. ticket.

On the 21st, the day of the concert the weather gods turned mischievous. It was cloudy, and raining off and on the whole day…and not to mention the bitter cold. But still nobody minded.

Everyone waited for 6.30pm to arrive so as to enjoy the concert. We arrived at about 6 pm at TIPA-the venue for the concert…the ground was already teeming with boys and girls. The weather was still not behaving but the concert was still to go on in the open. So we waited …it was a long wait.By that time the ground became almost full with boys and girls.

I wondered where have they all come from because whenever there is some sort of demonstration in support of freedom of a political prisoner or against the Chinese Policy then we can almost count on our 10 fingers the young boys and girls participating in such things.

That was quite a sad thing to realize. Even in this cold and inhospitable weather we bear all hardships just to have a few moments of fun but I wonder how much of these same people will turn up if it was announced there is going to be a peace march or gathering of support for our own nation. It is quite heart rending to even think on it because I fear that not even a single boy or girl at the concert will turn up for such a thing. That’s quite a terrible thing for a nation’s youth to be doing!!

The weather gods were also not pleased , I think ,with the Tibetan youth –although the rain couldn’t deter the spectators from turning up but it was successful in spoiling the concert by making the mike system unworkable in this weather. So we all returned home disappointed and upset. The organizers promised another show the next day…lets see whether that too gets washed down by the rain!!


The highlight of the disappointing concert was that non-Tibetan foreign woman singing in pure Tibetan without any trace of her mother tongue's accent!! The contrast was so glaring ..but I wonder if anybody noticed at all!! There she was looking so beautiful in the traditional Amdo chupa (Amdo being the region where His Holiness belong to) singing an Amdo song.And there on the same stage were our own youth singing in Tibetan but sounding more like a foreign version; what with the rappings and the beats at every pause and wearing clothes probably inspired by those rappers being shown on MTVs and its ilk!

Will that be our future one day? Our culture and tradition being presented to us by non -Tibetans who take more interest in them than our own people… one day we have to go to these same foreigners to learn about our own culture!!

I hope His Holiness never gets to see such a day…how heartbroken he will be!!

Losar-Bringing together a scattered nation and its people

During our childhood, losar was the highlight of our school’s winter vacation. And most of the time losar would be on the last fortnight or week of February…just before we would return back to our school!!

It was always a fitting end to a well-enjoyed and for most a very soon ended 2 and half months vacation. After spending losar returning back to school was not so disappointing. We could wear new clothes, eat the most delicious food, and entertain ourselves in any way we wished…and the best thing was we were not rebuked nor scolded by our elders and parents for doing so!!

I see the kids in their bright shiny clothes..laughing and so happy! And I miss those carefree and stress free childhood days of mine when I so wanted to grow up soon. When you are a kid , you must enjoy it fully because childhood won’t last long; it will finish in a jiffy and you will be tossed in this harsh and cruel world of reality. So one must enjoy life when it is so small, simple and innocent before you grow up and realize that your childhood vision of life was only an illusion!

Losar in my college life was not as exciting.Being in a college far from any Tibetan settlements, we had trouble even knowing and remembering which date it falls on since Tibetans followed the lunar calendar, the dates were never the same.We had to attend our regular classes just like any other normal day…that’s when you realize you are an outsider in a foreign country! I hope the students in colleges remember to celebrate this day...even if they have to attend their classes ..I hope they will remember to be happy on this day!!

Now I am no longer in school nor in college. I don’t feel that excitement I used to feel when I was a kid nor do I feel it is a sacrilege to have forgotten Losar and nor worn anything new on this day like I felt when I was in college.

Losar now is such a big headache…what with the shoppings, the cleanings, the cookings to be done!! But when the Big day arrives ,though this place is the same ,you are the same…everything is the same .....but there is a certain buzz in the air that you feel so different and new as well ! You go outside and see all these Tibetans in their best clothes ,in shiny faces and best of all …with their whole family visiting the temple!! It is so moving to see how Losar brings together not only a family together but each and every Tibetan! And what better way to start a new year then by seekimg the blessings of your god with your loved ones!

We visit the temple and see others in their best clothes and smile and laugh …and remember to be happy even if for 3 days only! We all feel like one…we forget our normal differences and dislikes. And I realize the importance of such a day for us.

Tibetans all over the world though seperated by geographical distances become one through the celebration of this day in the same way and in the same joy! In that way we keep alive “Tibet’.

A"very Public" personal diary

This is my “very public” personal diary.

A mind of a person works in a very funny way. It wants to hide its feelings from the whole world but it also looks for acceptance from fellow beings as well. It wants assurances that what he or she is feeling is not a lone case but there are others as well who feel the same.You want to be sure that you are not alone in this wide world. Man is really a social being,he can never dwell in solitary. Even those who are self proclaimed loners cannot stay away from people for long.

Its so funny how one can feel so alone in a very crowded place like a hospital. I visited the hospital to get my medical fitness certificate. I was glad I was not sick . To be sick is the worst thing in the world…never will you feel more alone in this world!! I looked around the waiting lounge and saw various stages of the human life. The baby that has just entered this world…so joyfully ignorant of this puzzle called Life…so peacefully asleep in its mother’s lap…peaceful and protected only for now!!The young man eaten away by his disease…his dreams and hopes from his life …put on the back burner for now..as he had yet to cheat death to resume what’s left of his life. The old couple without any help in sight…the children who would have been their walking sticks when they couldn’t walk any longer no longer by their side.Having long forsaken them for a better and an easier life for themselves..never realizing it is a life his parents have provided him with.

It’s not a good sight to view the harsh realities of life with your own eyes. But life will not always be a bed of roses. If I want the roses I also must accept the thorns which comes with it whether I want it or not! I have had my share of thorns in my life…that’s why I respect life and happiness so much. I never take them for granted because I know when there’s happiness there’s bound to be unhappiness just round the corner and when there’s life …there’s death also!!!