Tibet festival held in Sikkim

Sikkim, Nov 10 (ANI) Tibetans in Sikkim organised a five-day festival to acknowledge, honour and thank the government and people of India for providing the Tibetans a refuge.

Tshering Choedup, organizing committee, International Tibet Support Network thanked Indians for the hospitality.

"The Tibet festival is being organised because of the 50th year of the Tibetans in exile.

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So we take this opportunity to thank the local host especially the Indian people out here for providing Tibetans hospitality. So that the major reason why we are doing it here," said Choedup.

Hundreds of foreign tourists from across the world participated in the festival as they were interested in Buddhist religion and the Buddhist way of life.

Maria, a German tourist, said that "I came here because I'm from Germany and the Germans here have a big sympathy for the Tibetans and we are very interested in the culture and the religion and the Buddhist religion and also cooking and a way of life for Tibetans."

China has controlled Tibet since People's Liberation Army troops marched into the region in 1950 and Beijing considers Tibet as an integral part of its territory.

Critics accuse China of repressing Tibetans' religious aspirations, especially their veneration for the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. (ANI)