Tibet in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
Dharamshala, October 29 & 30, 1996
First National Conference of Tibetan Writers
Dharamshala, March 15 to 17, 1995
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Sea of Inhumanity Tibet in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution Dharamshala, October 29 & 30, 1996 | |||
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Literature for Freedom First National Conference of Tibetan Writers Dharamshala, March 15 to 17, 1995 | |||
| Sea of Inhumanity | ||||
| Tibet in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution | ||||
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Dharamshala, October 29 & 30, 1996 Department of Information and International Relations, Dharamsala, India |
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Next to the invasion and occupation of Tibet by Red China, the Cultural Revolution was undoubtedly the greatest catastrophe to afflict Tibetan society this century. It swept through the lives of the Tibetan people with the violence of a major war, the chaotic destruction of a cyclone or an earthquake, and the horror, suffering and madness of a medieval pestilence. Yet there has been little study of the Cultural Revolution in Tibet, or any reasoned evaluation of its impact on Tibetan society and history. In China retrospection on the Cultural Revolution has not met with official disapproval and has, consequently, seen discussion not only in academia, but in literature, art and film.
What we know of the effects of the Cultural Revolution in Tibet is largely confined to the physical destruction of monasteries, temples, images and reliquary. Little is known of its psychological impact on Tibetan society, or the changes wrought in the everyday life and thinking of ordinary people. Little has also been studied of the actual power play behind the Cultural Revolution in Tibet, and the personalities who rose and fell because of the events. One of the least examined, and hence, least known consequences of the Cultural Revolution and the factional fighting in Tibet is the growth of a national consciousness among Tibetans which resulted in violent uprisings all over Tibet around 1967-1969, and which the Chinese in Tibet dubbed the "Second Tibetan Rebellion". On the 30th anniversary of the Cultural Revolution, AMI held this conference "Tibet in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution". Fourteen papers were presented, and ten more papers have been submitted for inclusion in the forthcoming proceedings. AMI dedicated this seminar to the memory of those countless Tibetans who suffered and perished in the holocaust of the Cultural Revolution. |
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| The Programme | ||||
| October 29, 1996 | ||||
| Opening
Session Moderator: Jamyang Norbu
Offering
of butter-lamp and prayer for the memory of those Tibetans who died during
the Cultural Revolution.
Why we
need to look back and to understand the Cultural Revolution.
The Origins
of the Cultural Revolution in Tibet
Second
Session
The
power struggle of destruction and suffering: my experiences of the Cultural
Revolution in Drapchi prison
The
experiences of one family in Lhasa during the Cultural Revolution
Third
Session
An
account of the crimes committed during the Cultural Revolution in the Golok
area
An
account of how the various programmes of the Cultural Revolution were implemented
in Dzachukha, Kham
Fourth
Session
An
eyewitness account of the Cultural Revolution in Labrang, Amdo
An
account of the Cultural Revolution in one village in Lhokha district
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| October 30, 1996 | ||||
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Fifth Session Moderator: Kalön Sonam Topgyal
The main objectives of the Cultural Revolution and the Cultural Revolution in Gonjo, Kham
A brief account of the Cultural Revolution in Khyungpo
Tengchen, Kham, and the "1969 Rebellion"
Sixth Session
Background to the Red Guard fractional fighting in Lhasa
The royal family of Mewu (Ngaba, Amdo) and the Cultural Revolution. Retrospection of the Princess of Mewu
Seventh Session
The experiences of the wife of the late Tibetan Government official, Tsipön Namseling during the Cultural Revolution
A review of the Tibetan novel on the Cultural Revolution, "Vultures in the Black Whirlwind", by Chime Dorjee, People's Publishing House of TAR, 1995
Eighth Session
Transcripts of telephone conversations of Chinese leaders in Tibet and China during the Cultural Revolution obtained from a secret wiretapping operation in Kongpo area in 1969
(See also Kasur Lhamo Tsering's book published by AMI, "Resistance, vol.1 and 2".)
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| Literature for Freedom | ||||
| First National Conference of Tibetan Writers | ||||
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March 15 to 17, 1995 Bhagsu Hotel, McLeod Ganj, India |
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Conference on the morning of
the 15th and spent about an hour with the delegates. In His message he mentioned
that this conference would have a strong and positive impact on the development
of Tibetan literature. His Holiness remarked that inside Tibet, even more
than literature, the very language - Tibetan words and names - was disappearing.
It was therefore vital that Tibetans living in a free country should make
every effort to protect Tibetan literature. On a more immediate level the
Dalai Lama talked of how necessary it was for Tibetan writing to modernize,
and the need for a consistent phonetic system to render all foreign and
scientific terms into Tibetan. He also stressed the need to bridge the gap
between the language as used by the scholars and that of the lay people.
Sixty-two delegates from various parts of India, Nepal, Switzerland, U.K. and USA took part in the Conference. Due to limitations of space, only eighteen observers could attend. |
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| Messages | ||||
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a message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the conference received messages
from H.H. Sakya Trizin; Dzarong Trulshik Shatrul Rinpoche; Dr. Samten G. Karmay,
CNRS, Paris; Prof. Samdong Rinpoche, Principal, Centre for Higher Tibetan
Studies, Varanasi; the Kashag; the Assembly of Tibetan Peoples Deputies; the
Department of Religion & Culture and the Department of Education.
Of particular encouragement to the organisers and delegates were two messages from outside the Tibetan community. The first was from the headquarters of International PEN (World Association of Writers), London: "We send you our warmest wishes for the success of this, your first meeting, which is to be inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As an international organization of writers which fights for endangered languages, as well as for our persecuted colleagues, we have a particular interest in the preservation of the Tibetan language and literature, as well as a particular sympathy for Tibetan writers." The second was from Czeslaw Milosz, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1980, who wrote: "Please receive my words of solidarity and sympathy. I lived a long time in exile and I understand your problems and your hopes. You have friends in many countries of the world, and you should be convinced that what you write in solitude and isolation will one day be known and remembered with gratitude."
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| Participants | ||||
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Aside from scholar-writers like Dhongthog Rinpoche from Seattle and Rakra Rinpoche (the oldest delegate at 71) from Switzerland, many younger writers (the youngest, Lhagon Kyap 21) living in exile and also recently arrived from Tibet, participated as well. Many editors of cultural/literary journals and newspapers in exile also participated. Elderly lamas mingled and deliberated freely with younger writers. Everyone seemed to enjoy each other's company. Academics and writers from Ladakh and Lahaul, and a Nepalese editor of a Tibetan language paper, added to the variety in peoples and opinions. Many of the younger writers expressed their great satisfaction in being able to meet, many for the first time, older better-known writers living faraway or abroad, and discuss their works with them. A number of the senior writers also expressed their pleasure in being able to meet so many younger writers and were encouraged by their zeal and their ability. One of the participants, Palden Gyal, a poet now living in London, remarked in an interview that though he was enjoying the event, his feelings were somehow mingled with sadness at the thought of his poet friends back home in Amdo, who could not attend this first-ever gathering of poets and writers. (See also Palden Gyal's book published by AMI, "The Offering and Other Poems".) Ven. Thupstan Paldan, a robust middle aged monk from Ladakh (J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Language, Leh) impressed the interviewer with his prolificacy. Not only had he produced many short stories (his latest collecion has just been released) but also a number of radio-plays, which had been broadcast on All India Radio. Thupstan Paldan, like many others, praised the efficient organization and atmosphere of the Conference and the high standard of papers and discussions. Ladakh's own tremendous efforts to preserve its literature and culture would certainly gain from these deliberations, Thupstan Paldan added | ||||
| Gedun Choephel Award | ||||
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The Gedun Choephel Award is to be presented by AMI every three years to
an outstanding Tibetan writer who has maintained dedication and courage
in the face of persecution and hardship. The Award carries a cash prize,
and a specially framed citation.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the First Gedun Choephel Award for his writings, especially for "My Land and My People". All delegates were allowed one vote and were requested to submit their nominations in sealed envelopes at the time of registration. The Dalai Lama was the clear winner having received a majority of the votes. His Holiness thanked the conference for the prize but felt that the participants should reconsider their decision as it could probably set a wrong precedent of important lamas getting the Award, thus depriving ordinary hard-working writers the chance of winning it. His Holiness in all modesty also declared that he did not really consider himself a literary person but rather a religious pracitioner. His Holiness' request was discussed and it was decided that since the Dalai Lama had already received a majority of the votes cast by the delegates and was further indisputably deserving of the Award, there was no other recourse but to request His Holiness once again to accept it. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has accepted the Award. On the last day of the conference a committee of seven was eleced to select the next recipient for the Gedun Choephel Award. |
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| A Thought for Freedom | ||||
| In keeping with the theme of the Conference and with the hope of adding some fresh inspiration to our struggle, all participants were requested to contribute an essay, story, verse or else on the subject of "Freedom". These were collected at the end of the Conference and were published in 1995 under the title of "Voices of Freedom". | ||||
| The Programme | ||||
| March 15, 1995 | ||||
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Opening
Session
Literature
vs. propaganda: the power of truth Evolution
of Tibetan language and usage since 1959 Second Session New
Tibetan writing, origins and features Writing
for children |
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| March 16, 1995 | ||||
| Third
Session
Tibetans
writing in Hindi and Sanskrit Foreign
words, standardization of the spelling, phonetics and rendition of foreign
words Fourth Session Playwriting
and scriptwriting, importance of these in a semiliterate society Proofreading,
developing new punctuation conventions, proof correction marks, and styling
for contemporary Tibetan writing Fifth Session Gendün
Chöphel: the writer as a social pioneer Writers
and the Amnye Machen Institute Sixth Session Tibetans
writing in Chinese (literary) Tibetans
writing in Chinese (political) Obligations
in writing Foreign
words, standardization of the spelling, phonetics and rendition of foreign
words (Part 2) |
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| March 17, 1995 | ||||
| Seventh
Session
The social and political limits of contemporary
Tibetan literature
Survey of Tibetan women's writings
Eighth Session
Colloquialism, advantages and disadvantages
Tibetan PEN Centre
Ninth Session
Computers and the Tibetan script |
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