Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, June 25: Two rare historical documents once belonging to Sir Basil Gould, former British Political Officer in Sikkim, were handed over to President Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration on Monday at the Office of Tibet in London.
According to Tibetan exile government run Tibet.net, the documents were presented by members of Sir Basil Gould’s family and Mr Giles Peppiatt of Bonhams auction house. The ceremony was witnessed by Representative Tsering Yangkyi and staff of the Office of Tibet, London.
President Penpa Tsering, who is currently on official visits to the United Kingdom and Berlin, Germany, received the documents, which are now destined for the Tibet Museum in Dharamshala.
The ceremony comes against the backdrop of growing concerns about the fate of Tibet-related historical artefacts, following an auction at Bonhams on June 4. The sale featured the extensive collection of Sir Basil Gould, who served as the British representative to Sikkim, Bhutan, and Tibet during the British colonial period in India.
Among the items auctioned were an oil painting of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s enthronement ceremony by renowned Indian artist Krishna Kanwal, which sold for £152,800; approximately 40 watercolour paintings created during Kanwal’s 1939–1940 stay in Lhasa with Gould, which fetched £457,600; and various historical documents and photo albums, which were sold for £14,000 to anonymous online buyers.
Former Tibetan Representative to the UK, Sonam Phuntsok, participated in the bidding for Sir Basil Gould’s historically significant documents but was unsuccessful against anonymous online purchasers.
According to The Telegraph, Sir Basil Gould’s photo albums and documents contain extensive evidence supporting Tibet’s status as a fully independent nation prior to the Chinese invasion in 1950. These materials serve as crucial counter-evidence to Chinese government claims regarding Tibet’s historical status.
Sir Basil Gould was among the distinguished guests at His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s enthronement ceremony in 1940, and his collection provides rare documentation of Tibet during this crucial period in its history.
Bonhams auction house has not disclosed the identities of the buyers of these historical documents. In response to The Telegraph’s enquiries, former Representative Sonam Phuntsok expressed concerns that many of the anonymous online buyers during the auction may be affiliated with the Chinese government.
“These documents are important materials belonging to the Tibetan people,” Phuntsok stated, “with fears that such documents might not be seen again in the future,” highlighting concerns that evidence of Tibet’s independence may gradually disappear from public access.
