Hungry for Lama

“On May 14, 1995 he was declared the 11th Panchen Lama, by His Holiness Dalai Lama. Three days later the Chinese government abducted him and his family. Since then we do not know where he is or how he looks like? We have been celebrating his birthday and worshipping him over the years. But today, we want everyone to know that we need our leader back,” said Dawa, 28, one of the volunteers of the regional Tibetan Youth Congress.

On the occasion of the 22nd birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama on Monday, nearly 60 monks from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery along with the Panchen student volunteers and regional Tibetan Youth Congress went on a 24-hour hunger strike near Corporation Circle, to voice their agitation against the Chinese Government.

The protest was directed at the Chinese government who they accuse of detaining Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama who is the highest spiritual leader of the Tibetan community after the 14th Dalai Lama. “He is our God and our leader. What do we do without Him? I want India to support us to get our leader back. Nobody knows anything about Him,” said Ngodup, 54, one of the volunteers.

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was born on  April 25, 1989 in Lhari County of Nagchu Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region.  On May 14, 1995, the Dalai Lama, in keeping with the special historical and spiritual relationship shared by the lineage of the Dalai Lamas and the Panchen Lamas announced six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama and declared him the 11th Panchen Lama. On May 17, 1995, the six-year-old along with his parents and family and Chadrel Rinpoche, Abbott of the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Tibet as well as the the head of the search committee for the 11th Panchen Lama were arrested by the Chinese authorities. It has been 16 years since the disappearance of the 11th Panchen  Lama and the rest of them.

“The Chinese government through the media shows the world how well the province is doing but that is not true. We want Him free. We plead to the Indian government to help us find Him. We do not have any other support system,” added Dawa. The volunteers and supporters observed a candle-light march in the evening and prayed for the safety of the missing Panchen Lama.