Addressing cries can save lives!


By Tenzin Dhargyal

Tenzin Dhargyal
It was the night of 14th November, Children’s Day. In the middle of the night I was woken up somehow. Later I came to know that the loud cry from a puppy had woken me from my sleep. I looked at my watch. It was 1:30 a.m. I was still lying in my cozy bed and could not dare even to go, and answer the nature’s call. Reluctantly, I got up and pointed my flash light through the window so that I could have a glimpse of the puppy who was crying. Unfortunately, I could not see anything except the cry which grew louder and more desperate then. 


I started asking myself whether to go out and respond to the call of this puppy or not. Suddenly my wife and my daughter also got up because of that consistent cry while I went back to my cozy bed. I just wanted to see if my wife was ready to help the puppy who was in problem. So, I casually asked my wife to go out and help the dog thinking she would vehemently say 'No'. But to my surprise, she only said she was afraid of going out. Then I thought she was at least ready to help the dog provided that she had a company. So, I told her that I would help her go out and answer the call of the puppy.

The cry of the puppy was peculiar which showed that the puppy was either cold or had fallen in a ditch in that cold night.  Before going out, so many inaudible conversations were going in my mind, whether to go out in the cold night especially at the wee hour or ignore and let the puppy die helplessly. After much introspection, I made up my mind to go out because a couple of days back two puppies had died because of the cold weather in our school itself. That was the time for me to show whether I really practice what I had been told from my religion - to help those who are in need indeed. Finally we went out quietly with our flash light. Prior to this, I had checked my kitchen to see if there was anything left for that puppy. There wasn’t any leftover food as my good girls had already bottomed up our dinner. After searching for few minutes, luckily I found a piece of bread that the puppy would probably eat if his call was for some food. In the mean time, my wife had checked our railing to see if there were any rags but could not find one. Any way, we finally went out. All Suja was wrapped in deathly silence except for that cry. I went ahead of her and she was following me. I pointed my flash light towards the direction where the sound was coming.

 I was wondering what actually had gone wrong with the puppy. Luckily within few minutes, my flash light hit the bull’s eye. Can you guess what had gone wrong with the puppy! Well that little puppy had fallen in the ditch filled with drainage water and two puppies were just licking him. The two puppies outside the ditch were helpless for they couldn’t pick him up. I said to myself, “Oh My God! Look at these two puppies who are just trying to console the one who was fully drenched in the ditch!” So, I just picked him up from his neck. My wife was so happy then. And everything was over by then. The three puppies went quietly and happily as if nothing had happened. We just could not help ourselves from our controlled giggle.

Thus we headed back to our cozy room somehow satisfied. Such joy from having been able to help someone in distress! I felt so satisfied with my small and timely help sacrificing my comfort in my cozy bed. If I had ignored the call at first hand, probably I might have to bear the news of the death of the puppy the next day or I might have to live the rest of my life clicking my tongue for my indifference to that help call!

Now that was a help call from a dog particularly a puppy. Even his call was timely responded. Now the Tibetans inside Tibet are calling for help, they had not fallen into any ditch like the puppy but worse than that they had fallen into the hands of the cruel inhuman treatment of the Chinese regime. They are leading miserable lives which leads them to burn themselves on the fire. Their cries are much louder and more desperate than the cry of that puppy. So, the world leaders, Media and community should come forward not from their cozy beds but from their cozy comfort zones to rescue and respond to the despairing cries of the Tibetans inside Tibet rather being mute spectators to all these large scale distortion of human rights in the snow land.



Editor's NOTE -- Tenzin Dhargyal is a teacher at Tibetan Children's Village, Suja School which is in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. To read more write ups by the same author, click here


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14 comments:

  1. Tenzin: Knowing that there are people like you helping mold the lives of the young people at TCV makes me feel so good about supporting Tibetfund.org.

    OM AH HUM

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  2. yes, Tibet needs teachers like Tenzin who not just introduces the text world to his students but injects sense of caring and patriotism. Hats off to you all teachers -- the makers of future seeds of Tibet!

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  3. I hear you T. Dharyal la, hope the world can understand and support our cause!

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  4. Its good to know that there are teachers like you but it is sad to know that you guys celebrated the children's day despite the ongoing self-immolations and sacrifices in Tibet.

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    1. Dear Bhoepa Bhomo,
      children are the future seed of our nation, we use to tell them. But while telling them these big words, had we asked them about their opinions. without even thinking whether we are giving any options to them or not, we tell them that they are the future seeds and it is in their hand to take our nation's back. But then, while saying that have you thought for a moment on what we are doing rite now,,, just waiting for them ( to me it seems like). why do we have to play this blame game all the time instead of just doing something reasonable.
      you have to understand a child's mentality first, to call them a child.so celebrating a children's day is a worthy enough for a child because they are just a child not a soldier working underneath the muzzled gun of commanders.
      with regard
      yangchen( Teacher)

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    2. Hi Yangchen lak, i can understand you. You as a teacher, you are having this special tender and caring feeling but if you carry on with such an attitude, you are might be not one of the bad teachers but one of the wrong teachers who could result in 'sparing the rod, spoiling the kids'. Just education is not enough, you have to teach your students to be a good Tibetan, a complete Tibetan. You know how Chinese propagate and politicize teachings even in the schools in China and Tibet. So, we don't have politicize or fake but we must teach the truth, and must teach the sense of nationalizm, love for one's nation especially at this critical moment where our Tibetans in Tibet are setting on fire in protest against the Chinese brutality and occupation over our mother land Tibet.

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    3. Empty vessel always sounds louder, expert quotes. They are never being judgmental like you by quoting that but they are being an inspiration, a light for an ignorant like you and me, to erase the darkness of human's mind. so instead of pointing a your stiff looking finders at other person or an institution, you should be first doing a thorough research on TCV school with their policies and programs in raising their children. And with knowledge, I an as observer can assure,if i am not being proud, they are far far ahead of all the Tibetan schools in India and outside, may it be on Einstein's theory of relativity or on the struggle of Aung San Suu Kyi . so i advise you to first have a thorough research and then comments. Apparently me, knowing all these i commented that there is no problem in celebrating the children day for our childre, may it be a few smiles or with a tears of respect. May it be with a prayer or with a spark of joy for being a child at least.

      Take a heed.
      Yagchen

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  5. Thanks you all who have poured your sweet encouraging words, I will always try my best to live to your expectation. As for Bhoepa Bhumo, we at TCV School Suja didnt celebrate children's day despite our long preparation and we dont regret at all keeping in mind the sad situation going on inside Tibet. But I must tell you that we had a prayer instead on that day. Thats just for your kind information. Anyways keep pouring in your response! Thanks all.

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  6. It is over vehement joy for the puppies as their call where someone hears and cares, One in someone who desperately come to save your life at the nick of time. Tibet call is stronger than the puppies cry, but puppies were saved. In this story the the place and actor both desperately connected and willingly to help the situation. But Issue of Tibet; Actor incapability to play a role suitable for the place. Its the same for Tibet issue, CCP leaders must realized everything in this world is impermanence, and there will be a time, vicious circle it reveals because the nature of its behavior an origin, cause and effect. The coming generation has to face more challenges if the things that are inappropriate to the society isn't discuss. The time for real crises is soon For World. So china must understand the nature of interdependence, which is basic theory and policy adopted for the benefits for its people and the global. So, Chinese leaders must respect the world as world respect them. The time world is watching for its economy boom and everyone shocked how china has done it? Though it isn't surprise for the Tibetan. The method of killing, robbery, bulling, torturing, brainwashing and under gun there take everything for free of tax, free labor, free resources, so what needs to developed more? even street beggars can be a rich and famous if there used the same techniques of what china is doing to the Tibet and world. so what is different between these two stories. THe power of a hand is not a thump but all the fingers. so I am hoping and praying more freedom fighters will born in china, and Tibet needs strategy not implement.

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  7. Haahhaa truly said, 'anonymous', if china uses such bad ways, no surprise that they have rich, 'yes', even beggars can become rich if they use such methods like killing and stealing and all...

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  8. Ok genlak, good to know that. Thanks for the clarification. Our students at TCV Gopalpur also held solidarity prayers instead of celebrating the Children's day.

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  9. Thanks for the good feedback and comments here. Yes anybody even a beggar can become rich if they adopt the policy followed by the Chinese regime. Hope more freedom loving people rise up in China as well coz the power of hand is not a thump but all the fingers! Nice

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  10. Gen la,
    That's a real moving gesture. And more than that i can see you as a real solid husband( speechless). We are honored to have you as one our Tibetan teachers. Thank you for just existing in this world as our country mates. And yah, gen la, i as one of the citizen of our nation i am also working hard for our nation's cause.
    with regard.

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  11. Lets not obstinately stuck to our personal view points.Share your views and be prepared for all kinds of responses and feel the growth within and aim for strong and harmonious society.Learn to ask and wait.Learn to answer without haste....The message of this short story is very simple and practical.It hits right on the spot.Straying off the intended purpose of the author warrants little thought,if any,I feel....Free Tibet.

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