(TibetanReview.net, Aug06’22) – The Union Territory Administration of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has on Aug 5 honoured His Holiness the Dalai Lama with its Ladakh Spal-Ngam Duston Award, which celebrates the historical importance of Ladakh.
Ladakh Spal-Ngam Duston marks the Union Territory Ladakh Declaration Day, with this year’s event – held on the bank of the mighty Indus River, which is known as the Sengé Tsangpo in Tibetan, near Shey Village of Leh District – being the sixth anniversary.
The exile Tibetan spiritual leader and the 1989 Nobel Peace laureate was honoured with the award in recognition of his all-encompassing compassion, his promotion of peace and harmony and his efforts to preserve Tibet’s rich Buddhist cultural heritage. The award also represents the people of Ladakh’s deep gratitude for His Holiness’s unparalleled role in helping them preserve their cultural heritage, as well as their sense of pride in their relationship with him since his first visit in 1966.
In his speech, the Dalai Lama said he was pleased to accept the award bestowed on him by people whose faith and trust in him are unshakable.
“Tibetans and the people of Ladakh enjoy close relations,” he said, “because we share the same Buddhist culture, and this great River Indus, the Sengé Khabab, that flows between us.”
He expressed admiration for the excellent harmony and friendship that prevails among the various religion communities in Ladakh. “All these religious traditions emphasize the importance of helping others and, since we all wish to be happy, we must work to maintain harmony among us, conscious of the oneness of humanity,” he said.
He also emphasized: “I urge you to plant and take care of trees, which is one positive step we can take to address the threat of global warming that puts the whole of humanity at risk. We have a responsibility to future generations to take care of the environment while we can today.”
And he expressed hopes to be able to continue to visit Ladakh regularly in the future since it is not as wet as Dharamsala at this time of the year.
Others who addressed the gathering included Mr Umang Narula, IAS, Advisor to the UT Ladakh; Mr Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP; and Mr Tashi Gyalson, Chairman, LAHDC.