Gondia: Tibetan Community Unites to Seek Justice for Missing Panchen Lama
Gondia, 18th May 2023: Tibetan refugees residing at the Norgyeling Tibetan refugee settlement camp in the Gondia district of Maharashtra gathered at their camp office in the early hours of Wednesday, May 17th. The occasion marked the anniversary of one of the darkest chapters in Tibetan history after the forced migration from Tibet in 1959 due to China’s relentless and pervasive attempts to sinicize their motherland.
On 17th May 1995, a six-year-old boy named Gedhun Choekyi Nyima went missing from Tibet. What made him special and even holy was that he was the eleventh Panchen Lama, a highly revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism. The reason for his disappearance was that China had tried vigorously to use the tenth Panchen Lama as their puppet, but he had disobeyed and openly revolted against the Chinese government, leaving them embarrassed on the global stage.
In their overly cautious approach, the Chinese government captured the eleventh Panchen Lama, showing complete disregard for basic human values, and there is still no trace of him today. While some images of him have been generated through artificial intelligence, there has been no success in locating him, and he has become one of the many mysteries originating and ending in China.
The international community refers to him as the youngest political prisoner, and he is likely to be counted among the political dissidents of the CCP with each passing year. The Tibetan community has remained unwavering in their resolve to bring attention to the disappearance of the Panchen Lama year after year, following the teachings of Lord Buddha by peacefully protesting for the cause.
The event was held under the supervision of Tashi Tsering, Vice President of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, and members of the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association. Representatives from the local assembly also participated. Senior members addressed the gathered people, who had come to offer prayers at the local monastery. In their speeches, the leaders of various groups appealed to their fellow refugees, especially the youth, to take up the cause of Panchen Lama’s release and urged them to work for it relentlessly and peacefully.
The historical and religious importance of the Panchen Lama was emphasized during the event, and special prayers were offered for the Tibetan people who had self-immolated for the cause of Tibet. The attendees resolved to pursue the issue with renewed vigor. Despite the prevailing heatwave conditions at the camp, a large number of senior citizens and women actively participated.
