Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre

Introduction

Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre Charitable Trust, Dharamsala is a non-profit organization founded by a group of Tibetans in 2003. It is registered under the district magistrate of Kangra, the state government of Himachal Pradesh, India: (Regd.No.157, Regd. Year 2005, Book No. 1).

 

•           Aims and objectives of the organization

If we look into the past history of the whole world, the development and decline of the nations depend not only on the government alone but also equally depend on the individual citizens as well. With that reference, it clearly shows that the co-operation and strength of every individual citizen towards one’s government contributes immense for the development of one’s nation. Similarly, Tibet was a very powerful and strong nation during the time of the three great Buddhist kings of Tibet (Songtsen Gampo, Trisong Detsen and Tri-Relpa-chen), but at this period of time, the same country is fallen into a pitiful condition, devoid of freedom under the illegitimate occupation by Communist China. At this juncture, if the Tibetan people fail to protect and preserve the religion and culture, traditional customs of the land, then it is a big hindrance to the Tibetan Cause in general. Therefore, it is sole responsibility of every individual Tibetan to do the best from one’s capacity. Additionally, China’s communist government is putting its full energy and force to annihilate Tibetan race and culture  by implementing the policy of divide and rule among Tibetan people. Therefore, seeing and feeling the emergency situation inside Tibet, Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre holds many aims and objectives and some of the important aims are as follows:

1) Preservation and promotion of Tibetan religion and language

2) Resolution of Tibetan problem

3) Awareness programs related to equality and human rights, democracy, environment, etc.

 

•           Meaning of the organization

In a broad sense, Khawa Karpo connotes Tibet. In a narrower sense, it refers to Rongtsen Khawa Karpo, (The Shangri-la) the historical sacred mountain in the region of Tsa-wa-Gang, near Jol Dechen of Kham province in eastern Tibet. Subjected to the most severe scrutiny and intrusion of the Chinese government in virtually every aspect of their lives, Tibetans in this region are in dire straits. Khawa Karpo-Tibet Culture Centre has therefore been named so as to invite attention to their deplorable state.

 

In nutshell, at this period of time, more attention and interest is being paid towards the culture and custom of other countries including west and then automatically, the culture of Tibet is being neglected in our own society. Therefore, Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre stands for the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture, and to bring good points from other prevalent cultures of the world into Tibetan language.

 

 

•           Project activities

1) Tibetan Weekly Newsletter- Tibet Express (Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen)

Tibet Express (Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen) is legally registered under the Information department and Press of Indian government. It is the first ever independent Tibetan weekly newsletter in our Tibetan society and till date, it is being widely distributed in around twenty different countries.

 

The head office of this weekly newsletter is based at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh and its branch agencies are based in the most populated exile settlements Byllakuppe and Mundgod. (Its branch agency based in Kathmandu, Nepal has been compelled to close on 5th March 2009 after the regional reporter was detained by local police. He was released after paying the sum of Nepali Rupees six and half lakhs as bribe, but legally stopped us to continue our work there. Therefore, the branch agency based in Nepal is temporarily closed). The newsletter Bod-kyi-bang-chen is being printed and distributed simultaneously in Dharamsala, Mundgod and Byllakuppe.

 

Contents of the newsletter:

 

a) News

Exile: It has news articles like programs of H.H.The Dalai Lama, Exile Tibetan government, Tibetan Non-governmental organizations, individual people’s activities, their livelihood, etc.

Tibet: It consists of news articles from Tibet.

World: Some of the selected important news about the world are included here.

Amazing facts: Collection of amazing facts happening in and around the globe.

Sports and games: Reporting of every big and small sports/games being played in and outside Tibet.

Photo news: Important photo news with small captions are also included.

 

b) Opinions and commentaries

Editorial Column: Editorial column is a regular feature of the paper generally reflects the paper’s views on any major issues covered in that particular issue, or views on any of the contemporary issues—with particular emphasis on the diversities of views.

Public opinion in the form of articles/compositions: The articles written by common people on current important issues are being published in the paper. The ideas and contents of the respective articles are not from the centre but the writer himself/herself is responsible for the write-up.

Letters from readers: This forum includes letters from readers to the agency or the editor regarding the contents of the newsletter, requests, corrections, complains opinions, etc.

Interviews: Interviews taken from authorities, great personalities, concerned people, known people, ordinary people, foreigners, etc.

Special forum for new generation: This forum is exclusive for the youngsters in our society. The forum mainly gives opportunities to Tibetan youngsters to express their personal views on certain issues.

 

c) Education

Introduction to Buddhism: There is special column of Buddhism in simple language for our readers. It includes interviews with spiritual preachers on Buddhism, transcription of speeches on Buddhism by H.H.The Dalai Lama and other lamas, collection of simple and understandable parts from Buddhist scripture books, etc.

Introduction to Tibetan history: Past history of Tibet is being introduced categorically in simple language and also the true stories which are not in written record are being enquired, researched and published.

World history: Brief stories of the countries of the world along with their national flag and map are being translated into Tibetan from various reliable sources.

Tibetan language: It includes like: Importance of Tibetan language and strategies to preserve it in future. Articles written by scholars and preachers who give importance about the common errors in language.

Elegant excerpts: Precise and meaningful excerpts from the speeches of H.H.The Dalai Lama and other scholars are being placed in every issue of the paper.

Health tips: Research section of Men-Tsee-Khang is regularly introducing about various ailments and its methods to cure and other precautionary measures on the basis of Tibetan medicine and science in simple and understandable language.

Caricature: Every issue of the paper carries satirical and sarcastic caricatures on various contemporary themes.

d) Advertisements

The paper keeps advertisements of government as well as non-governmental organizations or religious institutes, etc.

 

2) Tri-lingual Website-www.tibetexpress.net/www.bangchen.net

Anyone can enter our website from both the addresses either tibetexpress.net or bangchen.net and both have same content. One can enrich one’s knowledge from our website by choosing any language either English or Tibetan or Chinese and also the readers can do online discussion and debate on any topic. Especially, one can get updated information about in and outside Tibet in our Tibetan web-version and one can participate in discussion through blog as well. We keep on working hard on tri-lingual discussion forums, articles on religion and culture, monasteries in exile, Tibetan settlements, etc.

 

3) Translation from English/Chinese into Tibetan

We try our level best to translate any articles written by foreign learned and scholars on Tibetan issues, or any other important contemporary studies, articles written by Tibetans in other languages like English or Chinese. Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre has published four books so far and whenever we find any book in other language which are important for Tibet and Tibetans, then we’ll surely work hard to translate and publish them. We have translated Wang Lixiong’s two important articles on Tibet and have kept in our paper, and it has received much appreciation and acknowledgement from our readers.

 

4) Editing and Publications

We have edited and published various articles and books on some particular regions in Tibet, individual’s autobiography, interviews, other related stories, etc.

a) Wang Lixiong’s ‘A Chinese scholar has discussed about Tibet’ in Chinese, translated by Bawa Kalsang Gyaltsen into Tibetan

b) Nag-Tsang Nuedhen Lobsang’s ‘Nag-Tsang-Shilue-Kyidhug’

c) Bawa Yeshe Gawa’s ‘The history of Bathang Place’

d) Serta Tsultrim’s ‘The glowing legacy: A brief history of Chosje Khenchen Jigmey Phuntsok and Serta La-rung Buddhist Institute’

e) Su-Cha-Hong’s ‘Democracy in Exile’ in Chinese, translated by Shadong Tashi Gyatso into Tibetan version

 

Brief biography of current members of Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre

Success of every department or office is solely depended on the quality of its working staffs and luckily, Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre is blessed with qualified and dedicated staffs who are also very experienced in their own assigned duties. Generally, all of our staffs are very hard working people, having deep respect and friendly with each other. The brief biography of our current working staffs is as follow:

 

Mr. Serta Tsultrim, Executive Director/ Chief Editor

Mr. Serta Tsultrim was born in 1974. After completing his primary education, he received diverse education on Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan grammar, poetry, mathematics, religious paintings, etc. from Ragtam Jampa-Ling and Serta Buddhist Institution in Kham region. He fled into exile in the year 1998 and studied for nearly half a year at Tibetan Transit School Sherab-Gatsel-Ling and in 1999, he worked at the Religious Department of Tibetan government in exile as the editor of a comprehensive history book on Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, India, Nepal and Bhutan. From 2000 to 2003, he worked in Norbulingka Institute by taking responsibilities of the editor of the Nor-Wod Magazine, one of the editors to the biography of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (Zed-Nam-Ser-Kyi-Yang-Nying), published by Norbulingka Institute, and also a part of the Cultural and Research Centre of Norbulingka Institute and worked as a researcher for Tibetan Culture and Education. He was elected for the fifth local Tibetan assembly member of Dharamsala (LTA) in 2004. Additionally, he served as one of the executive members of the Association of Tibetan Journalists. He has also been the member of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPIE) since 2006. He has founded Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in 2003 and since then, he has been taking the responsibility of the executive director of the centre and the chief editor of the Tibet Express.

Mr. Ngawang Tharpa, Office Administrator/Web-designer

Mr. Ngawang Tharpa was born in 1980, at Singmodzong, Sogdzong district in Kham. He learnt Tibetan language by himself at home. At the age of twelve, he became monk in Sog Tsenden Monastery, where he studied some parts of the Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy and literature. In 1996, he escaped into exile and got admitted in Tibetan Transit School, Dharamsala where he studied English language for three years and enriched his Tibetan language too. He graduated that school in the year 1999. In 2000, he joined Norbulingka Institute as a web-designer and served the Institute accordingly till 2006. Due to his great effort and hard work, at present, he can work independently on installing different software, edit movies and design website, uploading and book designs. So far, he has designed several numbers of books. He had been one of the active members of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) for one year. He is also a member of DITG (Dharamsala Information Technology Group). Additionally, he is the main in-charge, chief editor and designer of the website: www.unitingtibetans.org. Since from September 2006, he has been undertaking the responsibility of Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre’s website as well as holding the post of its office administrator

Mr. Tsering Dhondup, General Secretary/Project Officer cum Editor of English Web-version

Tsering Dhondup was born in India in Tibetan Settlement Hunsur. He studied till high school in his village school in Hunsur, Karnataka and after that he joined his secondary school in C.S.T. Mundgod and after that he pursued B.Com in government college Dharwad. After that, he got selected for Teachers’ Training Course from T.C.V. where he stood second position during the final examination. He even studied Tibetan language for some time at Sarah Tibetan College.  Thereafter, he was assigned as Tibetan and English teacher in T.C.V. school Suja in the year 2003, where he worked for six years. During his stay in TCV Suja, he also undertook the responsibility of house master for four years. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre on 2nd March 2009 and since then, has been working in the centre as an English web-version editor of www.tibetexpress.net. Recently from 1st January 2010, he has been given additional responsibilities of General Secretary and Project Officer of the centre.

Mr.Choeney Woser, Sub-editor

Mr. Choeney Woser was born in 1978.  In 1992, he joined Tibetan middle school and graduated from that school in 1998. He escaped into exile in 1999. After reaching India in February 1999, he joined Tibetan Transit School where he improved his Tibetan language and also learnt English language and Computer. He was an assistant editor of School’s Tibetan literature Textbook for students in 2000. He took special course in computer diploma at Apar India Institute of Management & Technology in New Delhi during his final year in Transit school. He completely graduated from Tibetan Transit School in 2004. He has been working at Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre as a reporter of Tibet Express (Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen) since November 2005. Due to his continuous hard work, he has been promoted to the post of sub-editor in April 2008. Currently, he takes the responsibility of the sub-editor of the Tibet Express, and also one of the executive members of Association of Tibetan Journalists.

 

Mrs. Yeshi Tsomo, Accountant/Newspaper Distributor

Mrs. Yeshi Tsomo was born in 1975 at Tsawa Dzogang. She escaped into exile in 1991 and graduated 10th class from TCV School, Suja in 1997 and then transferred to CST Mundgod for senior secondary level education. After her schooling in C.S.T.Mundgod, she joined the college of Arts and Commerce in Delhi University and finally in 2002, she completed her B.A. with Office Management and Secretary Practice. She joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in May 2003 and since then she has been undertaking the responsibilities of the accountant cum newspaper distributor.

 

Mrs. Drakyab Ghang Lhamo, Reporter/Editor of Chinese Web-version

Mrs. Drakyab Ghang Lhamo was born in Tibet at Drakyab district of Eastern Tibet. She did her primary education in her home town and continued her secondary education in Chamdo. She later joined the Tibet University in Lhasa where she studied for complete eighteen years. On June 4, 1989, she participated in a peaceful demonstration led by the students in Lhasa. She was arrested and was taken to Taktse detention centre for interrogation. She was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment in Gutsa prison. After her release, she worked as a secret translator in Chamdo. From August 20, 1998 she started working as a teacher and head of management in an orphanage school. She worked there for four years.  She escaped into exile on 2002 August 1. She worked on the biography of H.H.The 14th Dalai Lama and Literary Research Centre in Norbulingka Institute in Dharamsala for five years. She has written her autobiography in which she has recounted her life through the political turmoil in Tibet. She has also one book on the collection of her articles. She joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in May 2008 and since then she has been undertaking the responsibility of Chinese web-version editor and other translation works of Chinese and Tibetan.

Mr. Sogshoe Dhargye, Cashier/Reporter

Sogshoe Dhargye was born on 1st June 1981 in Kham Sog-dzong and went to Chhatsang Primary School in Sog-dzong at the age of ten. After that, he got opportunity to study on Buddhism at Sog-Tsendhen-Gaden-Phelgye-Ling Monastery. He escaped into exile in the year 2001 and got privilege to study in Sherab Gatsel-Ling School for two and half years, where he studied mainly Tibetan and English languages. In the year 2003, he got admission in Norbulingkha Higher Institute through entrance test where he studied mainly on Buddhism and other Tibetan Studies. Simultaneously, he learnt English language during his leisure time. He completed his studies at Norbulingkha Higher Institute in the year 2006 with first division. He has been writing several numbers of compositions and being published in different magazines and periodicals in exile. He stood second position in essay competition conducted by Tibet Charity in the year 2005. Similarly, he stood third position in Dhenpe Woenang Essay Competition in 2006. Since April 2006 to August 2008, he worked in Cultural and Research Centre of Norbulingkha Institute. In 2007, he released CD of self-composed songs sung by himself titled as ‘Sad situation after departing from home’. Eventually in September 2008, he joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre and since then he has been working here as the reporter of the Tibet Express and simultaneously, he has been voluntarily undertaking the responsibility of the editor of Uniting Tibetan’s website: www.unitingtibetans.org Currently, he is working in Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre as the cashier cum reporter of the Tibet Express.

Mr. Tenzin Wangchuk, Reporter/Assistant editor of English version website

Tenzin Wangchuk Batsang was born in Kollegal Tibetan Settlement in Karnataka. He studied in S.O.S. T.C.V School Bylakuppe (1990 to 2003) and graduated from the school with commerce as the core subject at the intermediate level. He later studied Bachelor of Commerce (2003 to 2006) from St. Joseph’s P.G & Degree College in Hyderabad.

During the 2nd year (in 2004), he was elected as the General Secretary of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress. He took up PGDHRM (2006 to 2007), a one-year management course, in Mysore University. After this, he studied M.A – Mass Communication & Journalism (2007 to 2009) as his major in Mysore University.

He and three other friends started the first-ever Tibetan college students’ bi-monthly English journal called ‘Youth Voice’ in Mysore in September 2008 and edited the journal for a year. After the M.A studies, he volunteered as a reporter for TGiE official website www.tibet.net before joining the Khawa Karpo Tibetan Culture Centre where he currently works as an assistant to English version website and reporter to the weekly ‘The Tibet Express’ newletter.

Mr. Sonam Gyatso, Reporter/World news translator

Mr. Sonam Gyatso alias Lithang Jamsoe was born in Tso-Sum Jawa-De, Legendary Lithang County of Kham Province, Tibet. In the year of 1990, he left his home land and entered into exile life in India, where he mainly studied Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, as well as few other arts and sciences at Drepung Loseling Monastery, Mundgod, South India. From 2000 to 2002, he studiously continued his further studies at the Norbulingka Institute of higher Tibetan studies. From the following years, he worked as an editor of Nor-O, a Quarterly publication of the Library and Cultural Research Centre of the Norbulingka Institute and simultaneously worked for Tibetan terminology committee, Department of Education, Tibetan government in exile till 2005. He joined as a Tibetan Teacher in T.C.V.School, Suja in 2006, and worked there till 2008. During his stay in the school, he also undertook the responsibility of the president of Student’s Welfare Committee and also the editor of TCV’s annual journal ‘Sheyon’. During his leisure time, he wrote several articles which he finally compiled and published a book. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in January 2009 and since then he has been working as the reporter of the Tibet Express cum world news translator.

Mr. Tashi Delek, Regional reporter

Mr. Tashi Delek was born in 1980 at Kham Minyag Rabgang. He received his elementary education from a private school and later, he got opportunity to study Buddhist philosophy and other Tibetan studies in three different Buddhist Monasteries: Minyag-Rabgang Monastery, Serta Buddhist Institution and A-zom Choegar. After coming into exile in 2002, he joined Tibetan Transit School where he studied Tibetan Studies, English language and computer for five years. He even continued his computer education in Delhi as well. He undertook the responsibility of sub-editor of the magazine ‘Piwang-Karpoe-Rangdra’ of Dzogchhen Monastery and also the responsibility of the editor of ‘Migjhe’ of Gangjong-Rangden-Tsoelen Committee. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in September 2008 and since then he has been working as the regional reporter at our Mysore Branch Agency.

Mr. Thupten Tashi, Regional reporter

Mr. Thupten Tashi was born in 1983. He was admitted to Chhog-Tsang Tag-Lung Monastery and later transferred to Serta Buddhist Institution where he studied Buddhist Philosophy and other Tibetan Studies for nearly seven years. After coming into exile in 2003, he got opportunity to study in Tibetan Transit School for five years where he studied Tibetan, English and computer. He did further studies on computer in Delhi as well. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre in March 2009 and since then he has been undertaking the responsibilities of Mundgod Branch Agency as well as the regional reporter.

Mr. Tsewang Rigzin, Peon/Assistant to newspaper distributor

Mr. Tsewang Rigzin was born in 1987. After coming into exile in 2003, he got admission in Drepung-Gomang Monastery in South India where he studied Buddhist philosophy for two years. After that, he joined Tibetan Transit School where he studied for two years. After resigning from the school, he stayed some time at Upper TCV School to learn English language and also did some part time job for his survival. He joined Khawa Karpo Tibet Culture Centre on 21st September 2009 and since then he has been working as its peon cum assistant to newspaper distributor.