ID :
53772
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 08:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/53772
The shortlink copeid
Dalai Lama's homeland witnesses huge transformation
Lhasa, Apr 3 (PTI) If the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader
Dalai Lama were to return to Lhasa, he may not recognise his
Himalayan homeland that has witnessed sea-changes over the
last five decades, authorities here claim.
With Beijing asserting its authority and pouring in funds
to develop the Tibetan capital, situated 12,000 feet above sea
level, Lhasa has shopping malls, wide roads and flyovers
springing all across, under the watchful eyes of the world's
largest army that prevents any unrest from creeping up.
With Tibet's GDP increasing 65-fold in the last fifty
years, Lhasa has witnessed a lot of change since Dalai Lama
fled this city in 1959, authorities say.
"It is true, Lhasa has changed a lot. We can see the
difference. There have been lots of development in different
areas," said Chamla Kalsang, Director of Potala Palace, the
erstwhile seat of Dalai Lama and now a World Heritage Site.
Since 1960s, the Tibet region has been getting special
economic assistance from Beijing for its all round development
through financial subsidies, subsidised special projects and
aid, authorities say.
During 2001-05, the accumulated financial subsidies that
Bejing granted to Tibet amounted to 47.5 billion Yuan.
"Our prime concern is how to bring overall development to
the entire Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). You name any city in
China, there is hardly any difference with Lhasa in terms of
development and infrastructure," Vice Chairman of the People's
Congress of TAR Nyima Tseren said.
While big Chinese companies like Petro China, Bank of
China and China Mobile have set up bases in Lhasa, the TAR
government claims that initiatives have also been taken for
protecting Tibetan culture, including its language, heritage
and even medicines.
At least 20,000 old manuscripts of Tibetan languages were
recovered and are being restored and research centres set up
for the study and propagation of Tibetan music and medicines
by the Communist government that hopes to mitigate the
influence of the exiled Buddhist leader from the region.
"Everything is being done in scientific manner respecting
the sentiments of local Tibetan people," chief of Lhasa's
Education and Scientific Research Centre Han Xiaowu said.
However, with last year's anti-China protests ahead of
the Beijing Olympics, authorities are keeping a strict vigil
to prevent a repeat of the riots.
"Dalai has been instigating some people here and that is
why some rebellions had taken place in Tibet last year. But
now everything is normal," Tseren claimed. PTI ACB
DEP
NNNN
Dalai Lama were to return to Lhasa, he may not recognise his
Himalayan homeland that has witnessed sea-changes over the
last five decades, authorities here claim.
With Beijing asserting its authority and pouring in funds
to develop the Tibetan capital, situated 12,000 feet above sea
level, Lhasa has shopping malls, wide roads and flyovers
springing all across, under the watchful eyes of the world's
largest army that prevents any unrest from creeping up.
With Tibet's GDP increasing 65-fold in the last fifty
years, Lhasa has witnessed a lot of change since Dalai Lama
fled this city in 1959, authorities say.
"It is true, Lhasa has changed a lot. We can see the
difference. There have been lots of development in different
areas," said Chamla Kalsang, Director of Potala Palace, the
erstwhile seat of Dalai Lama and now a World Heritage Site.
Since 1960s, the Tibet region has been getting special
economic assistance from Beijing for its all round development
through financial subsidies, subsidised special projects and
aid, authorities say.
During 2001-05, the accumulated financial subsidies that
Bejing granted to Tibet amounted to 47.5 billion Yuan.
"Our prime concern is how to bring overall development to
the entire Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). You name any city in
China, there is hardly any difference with Lhasa in terms of
development and infrastructure," Vice Chairman of the People's
Congress of TAR Nyima Tseren said.
While big Chinese companies like Petro China, Bank of
China and China Mobile have set up bases in Lhasa, the TAR
government claims that initiatives have also been taken for
protecting Tibetan culture, including its language, heritage
and even medicines.
At least 20,000 old manuscripts of Tibetan languages were
recovered and are being restored and research centres set up
for the study and propagation of Tibetan music and medicines
by the Communist government that hopes to mitigate the
influence of the exiled Buddhist leader from the region.
"Everything is being done in scientific manner respecting
the sentiments of local Tibetan people," chief of Lhasa's
Education and Scientific Research Centre Han Xiaowu said.
However, with last year's anti-China protests ahead of
the Beijing Olympics, authorities are keeping a strict vigil
to prevent a repeat of the riots.
"Dalai has been instigating some people here and that is
why some rebellions had taken place in Tibet last year. But
now everything is normal," Tseren claimed. PTI ACB
DEP
NNNN