Postcards from Tibet

By Aishwarya Mavinkurve

Pune, November 26 – Everybody may not know about Tibet, but everybody knows the Dalai Lama,’’ smiles Pema Tsomo. A student of Library Science at Wadia College, Tsomo who has been in Pune for four years, wants to help spread awareness about Tibet.

Part of the Tibetan Students’ Association, she along with her friends and the Friends of Tibet organisation have organised an exhibition of photographs, books and cassettes at the Yashwantrao Chavan hall from November 29 to December 1 which will showcase Tibetan culture.

For the 30 students who have been part of the Tibetan Students’ Association, this forum is a place for them to meet, exchange notes and bond. While most of them have only heard about Tibet and are from Tibetan settlements in Dharmasala or Karnataka, they have managed to retain their unique cultural identity. ‘‘At gatherings girls still wear the traditional dress, the chupa and cook our own distinct cuisine whether its momos, tsampa made from ground barley, noodles or chapocha which is butter tea, and celebrate our festivals,’’ says Phuntsok Rigzin, an MCom student at a city college. They put across issues through cultural shows like the folk dance, Gorshee, which they performed at the Mahindra United World College or through cycle rallies.

All of them feel strongly about the Tibetan struggle.

‘‘ Tibet is like our promised land. We want to create awareness about the land, its culture and its struggles,’’says Tsering Phalutsang.