Himalayan Times (1962)

October 21, 1962

Himalayan Times

Thr-:;a

2 SIMLA HOMES FOR TIBETANS OPENED

Dalai Lama Thanks Save The Children Fund

Simla, Ootober 18

Watohfd by 100 wide-
&yed moppets the Dalai
Lama opened oq Satur-
day Simla's two homes
for Tibetan children at a
ceremony held in Stirling
Castle '- th* top of
Longwooti Kili.

Brilliantly dressed in
blue, fawn and green robea
with pink and orange
sashes, the emilling Tibe-
tan tots gave the Dalai
Lama a striking welcome.
Holding murigolds and
roses in their plump hands,
the children burst into
song an he arrived and
led him to the pavilion
faoing their Tibetan home
land.

At the foot of the
bill the Dalai Lama wag
reoeived by Lt. Col. L G.
Young, the Administrator
of the t—o homes.

Stirling Castle obser-
ved its formal openiug
(with Manor, the other
home, located on Summer
Kill) with appropriate
ceremony.

Tibetan dancerB and
musicians who were on
band struggled manfully
on thier native musical
instruments to keep the
audience entertained.

f?ut the day belonged
to the little children, most

of them between two and
five years old. Time and
again they would bend
to wipe their new shoes,
than nast' an intrigued
glance at the podium on
which sat the Dalai Lama.
Then again, unmindful of
the oold stares of the
elders, they would laugh
even as the Dalai Lama
himself was speaking.

lt was again th*
children, obviously srell
trained, who imparted a
touoh of solemnity to
the proceedings when they
approached the Dalai
Lama for individual bles-
sings.

In his address the
Dalai Lama expressed the
hope that with the hr]p
given to them by the Save
the Children Kund, the
Government of India and
other Commonwealth
countries "these children
of mine will grow un
into fully educated Tibe-
tans having a deep know-
ledge of their religion and
culture apart frorc having
an up to-date knowledge
of the 20th oountry".

One of his greatest
responsibilities in the wake
of the mass flight in 1969
had been to ensure that
these "dear children grow

physically strong end
kuow all that is good."
He was "deeply gratified",
he said, that the Govert-
ment of India was render-
ing a great deal of assis-
tance in meeting this vital
need.

While thanking other
agencies giving the Tibs,
tan refugees aid, the
Dalai Lama particularly
mentioned Lady Alexandra
Metcalfe for her keen in"
terest in the welfare of
Tibetan ohildren which,
had now resulted in the
opening of the two hoirioe-
in Simla.

Lady Metcalfe, who
has specially corns to India
to attend the function,
said it was important to
preserve the culture, phi-
losophy and religion of
the Tibetans.

Rajkumsri Amrit Kaur,
who was also present,
assured the Dalai Lama
that the people of India
would always like to do
their best to reduce the
sufferings of Tibetan re-
fugees.

READ

TIBETAN TALES

By David (>sacdomalo
Retired Britiib Trade kger,'
in Tibet
AVAILABLE AT
H'mslayan States.,
Kaltrjapo