BHUBANESHWAR: Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, who is currently on an official visit to the eastern Indian state of Odisha, spoke to over 25,000 students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) based in Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of the state. The institute is the largest residential institute for tribal people in the world, established by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology.
Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay was specially invited by the institute to speak to the students to inspire the pupils who are mostly from backward and tribal areas of the state.
Speaking in crisp Hindi to a packed playground of students, Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay spoke about the importance of working hard to achieve success and happiness in life. He also explained that our destiny is in our own hands rather than those who try to discourage us from fulfilling our aspirations.
“We are all the same whether we are from a village or a city. We should never feel discouraged because we are from a humble background. We all have aspirations and we all have the equal right to pursue it,” Sikyong told the students.
“Winning or losing is determined by our attitude. If we feel we can’t succeed because we are from a humble background or because we are born in a village, then we have lost even before the battle has begun. So, its imperative that we have a winning attitude in life,” Sikyong said.
Sikyong explained that our attitude should be accompanied by a whole-hearted determination to work towards our goal. “This determination would later become our habit and this habit would define our character. This character would eventually lead us to our success. So, you see, success is right in our hands,” Sikyong said, encouragingly.
Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay also narrated a brief biography of himself, beginning from his humble background in a remote village in north-eastern India. He shared stories of farm life, his childhood and the effort he put in to reach where he is today.
Sikyong also emphasised the virtues of service to people and society as a sign of real development. He urged the students to study hard, perform well in life and then come back to serve the society so that others can benefit from the knowledge that they have gained from their experiences.
Following his motivation talk to the students, Sikyong spoke about Tibet and its geo-political significance to India and other South Asian countries. He explained the critical situation inside Tibet and the Central Tibetan Administration’s efforts to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue based on the Middle Way Approach.
Sikyong’s talk concluded with a thundering applause from the students.
The Central Tibetan Administration was first introduced to the KIIT University in Bhubaneshwar by Jigme Rinpoche of Odisha three years ago. Since then, contacts and collaboration between the two blossomed.