Tibet Talk with Jamyang Norbu in Bangalore
Phayul[Thursday, July 30, 2009 00:26]
Bangalore – If you’re a Rangzen activist, a supporter of the Tibetan
independence movement or simply an ardent follower of the Tibetan
issue, then you must surely have a general understanding of Tibetan
history. Still, if one needs a scrupulously well-researched and
painstakingly honest argument to prove Tibet’s independence, the next
time you’re part of a campaign or in a heated debate with a friend or
stranger, the perfect solution would be to turn to Jamyang Norbu’s
compilation of historical documents, maps, audio clips and photographs
in a presentation titled `Independent Tibet – Some Facts.’ (Please
see )
The eminent Tibetan scholar, during a two-hour long session at the TCV
auditorium in Bangalore organized by Think Tibet and the Regional
Tibetan Youth Congress, addressed a group of nearly 200 Tibetans, and
spoke at length to prove the independence of Tibet before the Chinese
Communist invasion in 1950, presenting facts, pictures and references,
wherever the need arose.
Before 1950, Tibet was a fully functioning independent state,
maintaining basic law and order and yet staying far ahead of time with
the abolishment of capital punishment in 1913, and dictating laws that
govern environmental protection, Norbu said. Tibet at the time fed its
people unfailingly with no help from the outside world, and despite
its seclusion, was a self-sufficient nation, owing no money to any
nation or foreign institution, he added.
According to Norbu, the Tibetan people have two national anthems, the
older of which is Gangri Rawae or Snow Mountain Rampart, while Sishe
Pende or Universal Peace and Benefits is the more modern one composed
after Tibet lost independence.
Norbu pointed out that until after the Communist invasion, Tibetan
immigrants residing in North America or Europe was unheard of, and
that despite the frontiers of India, Bhutan and Nepal being completely
unguarded, very few Tibetans fled the country as economic or political
refugees.
Thus, the Communist Chinese invasion in 1950 — that saw over 40,000
troops of the 52nd, 53rd and 54th divisions of the 18th Army of the
Red Army attack the Tibetan frontier guarded by 3,500 regular soldiers
and 2,000 Khampa militiamen — was never a peaceful liberation as
China makes it out to be, Norbu argued. He lauded the courage of the
Tibetan army, who despite being heavily outnumbered, bravely faced the
Chinese army and fought as hard as they could.
Presenting a series of photographs, Norbu showed the first reference
to the Tibetan flag, which was made in a 1934 Flags of the World issue
of the National Geographic Magazine. The modern Tibetan flag, which
was adopted in 1916, was probably too new at the time the magazine
brought out its very first flag issue in 1917, Norbu said, but noted
that Tibet still found mention in an article on medieval flags in that
issue.
Thus, at a time when many countries in the world were yet to create
their own flags, Tibet was among the few nations to have a flag, the
scholar averred.
Similarly, the maps, globes and atlases that were drawn before 1950,
showed Tibet as an independent nation, always distinct from China,
Norbu said. Maps drawn as early as 1680-1700 show Tibet in two parts
but still separate from China, he said, while showing photographs of
rare maps, globes and atlases from different periods of time.
Before 1950, Tibet even had its own distinct currency, which was based
on the Tam and Srang denomination system, Norbu said. While a joint
Chinese-Tibetan currency or the Ganden Tanka was brought out when
Manchu forces occupied Tibet, Tibetans issued its own coin using
elaborate Tibetan and Buddhist designs once the Chinese army was
expelled in 1912, he added.
Paper currencies, however, came into being in Tibet only in the early
20th century, but the beautiful designs on them were painstakingly
printed, prompting one numismatist, Wolfgang Bertsch, to call these
bank notes `small works of art,’ Norbu said. Even in those early
days, Tibetans coined an ingenious solution to preventing forgery of
these bank notes — the serial numbers on these bank notes were
handwritten by a guild of specialist calligraphists, the epa, Norbu
said.
Chinese efforts to take over the Tibetan currency remained
unsuccessful until after the departure of the Dalai Lama in 1959, when
the official Chinese currency, the renminbi or yuan, came into use,
Norbu said.
But, the greatest proofs — if there were really a need to compare
these facts and evidences of Tibet’s independence before Chinese
invasion – would have to be the Tibetan passports, and also the
writings of so many scholars, explorers, and government delegations
who after visiting Tibet, recorded all they witnessed and experienced
in the land they strongly affirmed was an independent state.
Norbu, while addressing the rapt audience in the South Indian city of
Bangalore, showed photographs of different Tibetan passports, right
from the earliest on record that was issued by the Tibetan government
to an Armenian merchant Hovannes in 1688, to the more recent passport
used by Tsepon Shakabpa Wangchuk Dedhen, which Friends of Tibet
presented to the Dalai Lama in March, 2004.
Important too were the treaties signed between Tibet and its
neighboring countries such as Bushair, Ladakh, Nepal, China and
others, but one of the most important among these date back to 821 to
822 AD during which the Tibetan empire and the Chinese empire entered
into a treaty — the evidence for which can be found on a stone pillar
near the Jokhang temple in Lhasa, Norbu said.
He spoke at length of the other treaties and conventions Tibet entered
into as an independent nation, the most recent being the Shimla Treaty
of 1914 in which British India and Tibet agreed on their common
frontier.
Norbu’s two-hour long session appeared to be aimed at arming the
Tibetan people with facts, figures and proofs they’d need to argue the
case of Tibet’s independence, and as such undoubtedly served its
purpose. Despite the seriousness of the subject, Norbu spoke
eloquently, sometimes moving the audience to tears, and at other
times, leaving them roaring with laughter as he told stories with a
touch of the unmistakable Tibetan humor.
There is more work to be done for Tibet, Norbu said, adding that he
was constantly researching and looking for such documents, photographs
and things that would further authenticate Tibet’s independence. These
efforts would sometimes be met with much frustration when things fail
to go through as one plans and wishes, Norbu said.
Still, it is for us, Tibetans, to continue trying, he said.
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