Conversation with Sonam Tsering:
The Unsilenced: Voices of Young Tibetans podcast session saw FNVA engage with Sonam Tsering, a known blogger who writes on Tibet, an activist and is also the current General Secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest Tibetan NGO in exile. Sonam Tsering in this episode tells us about his journey from Tibet to India, his writings, the Tibetan Youth Congress and his message for Tibetans and Tibet supporters worldwide.
Sonam Tsering expounds in detail his arduous journey from Tibet, how it was brought up to him by his family and his eventual meeting with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. He further narrates his upbringing in India, going to a TCV school and eventually pursing further studies at Hindu College and O.P. Jindal University. Even though he was studying in a space where Tibetans were the minority, he continued to hold Tibet close to his heart and took part in several activities and initiatives for the resolution of the Tibet-China Conflict.
When discussing on his recent tour in the frontier regions of Northern India, Sonam was both encouraged and sad at the same time. He was encouraged by the fact that Tibetans continue to come together to talk about Tibet and its future, especially the school children who raised pertinent questions when discussing on Tibetan independence and its freedom movement. He however felt a deep sense of concern and sadness when he noticed the drawings of small Tibetan Children. Here unlike the drawings of his time in school which were around the theme of Tibet and its way of life, the current drawings depicted a modern world very far from the Tibet, our homeland, which stands illegally occupied to this day by the People’s Republic of China.
Being the General Secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress, he explained its structure, its genesis and even their prospective plans; especially of this year, when India our host country has the role of presidentship of G20.
When dwelling upon his initial years as a Tibetan Youth Congress member, he shared with us a poem titled as “The Yellow Guard” and this poem captured his feelings when providing volunteer service to pilgrims during the 2017 Kalachakra Initiation at Bodh Gaya. The Poem is as follows and can be accessed along with more writings of his at https://sonsnow.in/
In the mid of cough and cold
I am the Yellow Guard
Guarding ten and thousands of tents
Listening the hateful songs of innocence
Snoring here and snoring there
Killing the youthfulness of the silent night
I am the Yellow Guard
Guarding the gods men
In the mid of evils and devils
He concluded by giving his sincere thanks to all those who have been and continue to support Tibet.
