Druktalk Podcast

This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drukthar talks with Professor Carole McGranahan author of Arrested Histories: Tibet, CIA, Memories of a forgotten War at London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Carole McGranahan is Professor in and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at University of Colorado, USA, and a scholar of contemporary Tibet and the Himalayas. She is author of Arrested Histories: Tibet, the CIA, and the Memories of forgotten War (2010), co-editor of Imperial Formation (2007), and Ethnographies of U.S Empire (2018), and editor of Writing Anthropology: Essays on craft and Commitment (2020). She is currently co-editing a volume on Ethics and Ethnography and finishing book about Theoretical Storytelling. Conversations in details: 1. Can you talk about yourself and how you got interested in Tibet and Tibetan studies? 2. Before going into the details of the argument of your book Arrested Histories, Can you introduce to us a little bit about its historical background, for example the major historical period, agents, and events, especially 4R6R? for the audience who are not familiar with Tibetan history in general? 3. The name 4R6R might sound a bit unusual to some audience, can you elaborate on what it is and why it is named this way? what is the structure and declaration of (ཆུ་བཞི་སྒང་དྲུག) 4. Why do you entitle your book ‘Arrested histories’ – Tibet, CIA, and memories of a forgotten war? (short summary of the book’s main argument) 5. Why American Government, Nepal and Indian Government stop supporting the Chushi Gangdruk in1970s? 6. As you might have heard, recently a commercial film about 4R6R is being produced by a Tibetan crew and is soon to be released. Given these new developments, Do you think the arrested history of the Tibetan resistance is still under arrest or has it come to an official release? 7. Since the publication of your book thirteen years ago, What are your recent observations of the development of democracy, debates on non-violent resistance, and historical justice making in the Tibetan community in Exile? 8. Can you comment on the nowadays US government’s attitude to assisting Tibetan resistance/independence movement, as well as how Tibetan in exile perceive this assistance? 9. Let’s talk a bit about anthropological methods. As a woman and as a Western scholar, what sorts of obstacles and advantage do you find in your interviews and interactions with 4R6R veterans? (Challenges you faced during the field work) 10. Can you talk more about your current projects?

This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drutkhar talks with Ven. Yangten Rinpoche, Secretary of Gaden Prodang, private office of Dalai Lama office in Dharamshala.

We discussed his life and journey in Tibetan Buddhism, holding the highest degree, Geshe Lharampa, from Sera University in India. We also discussed his lifelong achievements, challenges, and fifteen years of service at Gaden Phodrag, the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

We also discussed the life and lifelong commitment of Dalai Lama to Human Beings, Religious harmony, the preservation of Tibetan culture, the promotion of ancient Indian wisdom, and many more.

Find more on Druktalk Podcast, IG, and YouT

This week one Druktalk Podcast, Drukthar joined by Nyima Lhamo, a Tibetan activist and niece of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, Rinpoche has died in a Chinese prison 13 years into sentence, when he was 65.

We discussed, how Rinpoche dies in Chinese prison?

What are the legacies on the preservation of Tibetan language, culture and religion?

We further discussed about her activism and campaigning around the world.

Find more conversations on Druktalk Podcast.

This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drukthar joined by Françoise Robin, professor of Tibetan language and Literature INALCO, Paris and Tenzingh Sonam, Tibetan exile film maker and owner of White Crane Production.

We discussed about his life, formal study and early film journey.

Detail conversations on some of his award wining films including Old Dog, Ballon, Tharlo and The search.

What was the greatest contributions in Tibetan cinema and Tibetan film world?

What are the challenges of Tibetan Flim markers and Tibetan cinema?

How his contribution on Tibetan cinema will inspire new generation of Tibetan film directors and screen writers?

Find more on Druktalk Podcast and Druktalk YouTube.

This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drukthar joined by Tibetan sociologist and scholar Dr Gyal Lo, author of Social Structuration in Tibetan Soceity. We discussed on the essential of Sociology theory and its relevance in Tibetan society, the relationship of sociology theory in Education, Society and spirituality in Tibetan Soceity.

This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drukthar joined with Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of Tibetan Government in Exile. We discussed on Tibet-China Conflict and prospect, Tibetan advocacy work in the United Kingdom and Europe, Tibetan youth and VTAG and many more..

This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drutkhar joined by Geshe Beri Jigmey Wangyal, Senior Lecturer at the Central Institute of Higher Studies (CIHTS). We discussed on the history of Tibetan literature, Tibetan traditional songs and focused on the Songs of the 6th Dalai Lama Tsanyang Gyatso.

This week Drukthar was joined by Shartse Khensur Jangchup Choeden, Deputy General Secretary at International Buddhist Confederation. We discussed how Tibetan Buddhism spread in India and its influence in India and Himalayas Region. We further discussed how the Indian Government use Buddhism as a diplomatic and soft power with neighbouring countries. 

Find more on Druktalk Podcast and Youtube. 

In this episode, Drukthar is joined by Professor Francoise Robin, INALCO, France. We discussed Tibetan language and literature study in western Universities. We had more conversations on modern Tibetan literature, the Tibetan language, feminism, colonialism, and more.

 Find details on Druktalk Podcast and Youtube. (Note: This episode's video recording and audio are inferior due to technical issues. Will improve in the following episodes )

This week on 'Druktalk Podcast' Drukthar joined Tibetan activist and community leader Chemi Lhamo. This episode was recorded during the future Tibet conference in Paris, in November 2022.   We discussed the conference in Paris and youth responsibilities towards the future of Tibet.

This episode recorded during the Future Tibet conference, at Paris, France.  This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drukthar joined by Tenzin Namgyal Teething, former Prime Minister of Tibetan Government in exile (now called Central Tibetan Administration). Tenzin la was one of the fact-finding delegations in 1980s and Co-founder of Tibetan Youth Congress. This episode, we discussed his life and services to Tibetan Government, NGOs and delegations to Tibet. We further focused on the current conflict of China and Tibet conflicts and prospects.

Find more on Druktalk Podcast and YouTube. 

This week on Druktalk Podcast, ‘The intelligence Tibet’, Drukthar welcome Dr. Gyal Lo, a Tibetan educationist and the author of Social Structuration in Tibetan Society: Education, Society, and Spirituality. Now based in Canada, advocating Tibetan education policy in Tibet, particularly focus on the colonial boarding school in Tibet. On this episode, we discussed China’s education policy in Tibet and its impacts on Tibetan language, culture, and identity.

China’s education policy in Tibet

What is colonial boarding school?

What are the challenges of education policy implementation in Tibet.

Comparative discussion of education policy in and outside of Tibet

Prospects of Tibetan education policy, particularly focus on the Tibetan language and identity.

About Dr. Gyal Lo

Dr. Gyal Lo was born in Amdo, Tibet, or what China calls Gansu Province, and attended school in his home region and then did a Master’s Degree in Tibetan Language and Culture Department at Northwestern University for Nationalities in Lanzhou, China. In 1995, he was appointed Assistant Professor in the same department, where he taught for the next decade and undertook extensive research into Tibetan education. After leaving to obtain a PhD in Educational Sociology at the University of Toronto, he returned to China but was refused employment at his former department due to political sensitivities over his time studying in the West. He was then appointed a full professor at the Yunnan Normal University Institute for Studies in Education from 2017-2020.

Dr. Gyal Lo left China on December 31, 2020 and has decided not to return because it has become too risky to make a meaningful contribution to the field of Tibetan education, and in order to alert the international community to the dire threats posed to the collective well being of the Tibetan people and society and the survival of Tibet’s language, religion, and culture. Dr. Gyal Lo is the author of Social Structuration in Tibetan Society: Education, Society, and Spirituality (Lexington Books, 2016).

This week on Druktalk, ‘The intelligence Tibet podcast’, Drukthar chats with Riga, an observer of economic and politcal developments in China, on ‘Xi Jinping and China’s future’. They examine the upcoming 20th Party Congress and discuss if Xi really is different from previous leaders? Finally, they explore the multiple future pathways of China

Reading Recommendation

-Desmond Shum: "Red Roulette"

-David Shambaugh: "China's Leaders: From Moa to Now" 

- Victor C. Shih: "Coalition of the Weak" (Cambridge University Press 2022)

- Joseph Torigan: "Prestige, Manipulation, and Coercion: Elite Power Struggles in the Soviet Union and China after Stalin and Mao" (Yale University Press 2022)

-Joseph Torigian: "The Shadow of Deng Xiaoping on Elite Chinese Politics" (War on the Rocks, 2017)

- Cai Xia: "The Weakness of Xi Jinping" (Foreign Affairs, Sept/Oct 2022)

- "China's Grand Strategy: Trends, Trajectories and Long-Term Competition" (RAND 2020)

This week on Druktalk ‘The intelligence Tibet’ podcast, Drukthar joined by Tsewang Rigzin, PHD candidate at Columbia University, US. We discussed on the ‘Future of Tibet and responsibility of New Generation’, the changing global political order and future of Tibet and China. The future of Tibet and role of Tibetan youths in Tibetan movement, preservation of Tibetan language and culture.

This week on Druktalk Podcast, Drukthar chats with Venerable Minyak Rinpoche on the significance of Tibetan Culture, Language and identity. Venerable Minyak Rinpoche is currently visiting scholar at University of Oxford, England 

The life and times of The Great Thirteenth Dalai Lama Thupten Gyatso, in conversation with Tibetan scholar Chung Tsering   Part 2:   1. Reform and Innovations  2. The Dalai Lama come back to Tibet  3. Mongol and Tibet treaty   4. Declaration of Tibetan Independence  4. Political Testament

The life and times of The Great Thirteenth Dalai Lama Thupten Gyatso, in conversation with Tibetan scholar Chung Tsering   Details:  1. Who is the Thirteenth Dalai Lama; discovering  and training, Reincarnation and enthronement  2. Assumption power in the difficult time (Dark Years)  3. The first exile: The British invasion and the flight to Mongolia, diplomacy and war  4. Golden Paking: Chinese troops invade Tibet

This week on Druktalk 'The Intelligence Tibet', Drukthar chats with Darig Thokmay, writer and PHD scholar at University of Oxford. We discussed on his book Basic Guide line of research paper writing published by Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshala.  We discussed on How to do Research; Asking questions, finding answers: theories and how to apply them, and research design. We focused on Tibetan researchers focus terms, time, vocabularies. And find more on podcast and Druktalk YouTube Channel 

This week on Druktalk 'The intelligence Tibet', Drukthar chats with Tencho Gyatso, Interim Vice President of International Campaign for Tibet. Tenchoe worked specialist Tibetan advocacy at US Government and US senate for nearly fourteen years. We discussed on the President Biden Administration policy on Tibet, in the era of US-China rivalry, competition and one of the worst relationship since 1970s. What is Biden Administration stand on Tibet? What are the expectations and hopes from the recently appointed Under Secretary Uzra Zeya as the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues. We cover from the historical perspective to the future prospects of Tibetan issues. Details listen to the podcast and Druktalk YouTube. 

This week on Druktalk, The Intelligence Tibet Podcast, Drukthar chats with Tibetan scholar Kyisar Ludup based in Paris, France. We discussed about the Tibetan scholar Go Sherab Gyatso and his academic writings, books and public lectures. Why Chinese government sentenced to 10 years in prison? For details please find out on Druktlak TIT podcast and YouTube. 

This week on Druktalk ‘The Intelligence Tibet’, Drukthar chats with Chemi Lhamo, Tibetan youth leader and activist. We discussed significance of activism, Tibetan freedom movement, and experience at University of Toronto. We present a deep-drive into the worldview of upcoming 2022 Beijing winter Olympic.  Why must world Boycott 2022 Beijing Olympic? How and why International Olympic Committee, Politicians, and Athletics must suspend Beijing Olympics?

Detail please listen to the discussion. If you have question and suggestion send email to dhukthar@gmail.com or instagram: theintelligencetibet 

This week on Druktalk The intelligence Tibet, Drukthar chats with former political prisoner Golok Jigmey la on Tibetan nomadic life and resettlement in cities. We discussed about the intersection of colonialism and nomadic resettlement under the Chinese government repressive policy.  Furthermore, we discussed, consequences of Chinese policy implementation on Tibetan nomadic in all over Tibet in recent years. 

This week on Druktalk TIT Podcast, Drukthar chats with Dr. Lobsang Yangtso, a leading scholar on Tibetan Environment, who joined delegations of COP26 Glasgow, UK. We discussed China’s development policies in Tibet and consequences on Tibetan Environmental crises. Tibet is known as a Third Pole and water tower of Asia, Tibet climate crises effects downstream nations and two million people depend on Tibet rivers.

རྒྱ་ནག་གིས་བོད་ཐོག་འཛིན་པའི་སྲིད་བྱུས་དང་དེའི་ཤུགས་རྐྱེན་སྐོར་ཁོར་ཡུག་མཉམ་ཞིབ་པ་བློ་བཟང་དབྱངས་མཚོ་ལྷན་ཏུ་དཔྱད་གླེང་།

This week on Druktalks TIT, Drukthar chats with Geshe Lobsang Nyendak, a Tibetan Buddhist scholar, writer and researcher. We discussed about the legacies of The 10th Panchen Rinpoche in reviving of Tibetan culture post Culture Revolution era. 

Colonialism: The politics of Tibetan language and Identity མི་སེར་སྤེལ་བའི་རིང་ལུགས་ཀྱི་ཤུགས་རྐྱེན་འོག་བོད་མིའི་ངོ་བོ་དང་སྐད་ཡིག་གི་གནས་སྟངས།  

This week on Druktalks (The Intelligence Tibet) Drukthar chats with Dhondup Tashi Rekjong, doctoral student, Northwestern University. We discussed methodologies of colonialism, post-colonialism, Neo-colonialism, and decolonisation. The consequences on Tibetan language and identity through the settler/post-colonialism in Tibet under the Chinese invasion and diaspore Tibetans

This week on The Intelligence Tibet, Drukthar talks with Mr. Lobsang Nyandak, former Representative of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Washington DC  and current Executive President of Tibet Fund, United States. We discussed about the Democracy in Exile: the vision of His Holiness The Dalai Lama on future of Tibetan democracy of Tibet, democracy development and progress in last six decades. Finally current challenges of democracy in exile and future prospects. 

This week on The Intelligence Tibet, Drukthar joined by Mr. Keslang Gyaltsen, former Envoy of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. We discussed various issue on Tibet and China, History of Sino-Tibetan Dialogue, lessons and future prospects etc.

Mr. Kelsang Gyaltsen was born in Kham, Tibet  in 1951.  In 1985 he was appointed as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet in Switzerland. In 1992 he was transferred to the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala as a secretary to His Holiness for international relations. In 1999 he returned to Switzerland and continued to serve as the Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Europe heading the Office of Tibet, Brussels (2001 – 2005) and the Office of Tibet in Geneva (2005 – 2008). From 2002 to 2010 as one of the two Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the dialogue with the Chinese leadership, he engaged in nine rounds of formal discussions and one informal meeting with representatives of the Chinese leadership.

This week on The Intelligence Tibet, Drukthar joined by Sangjey Kep, a scholar and translator on China. We discussed on the latest China's White Paper on Tibet, Tibet since 1951: Liberation, Development and prosperity. 

Details: 

I. Tibet Before the Peaceful Liberation (བོད་བཅིངས་གྲོལ་མི་བཏང་སྔོན།)

II. Peaceful Liberation (བོད་བཅིངས་གྲོལ་བཏང་།

III. Historic Changes in Society (རྒྱ་ནག་དང་བོད་ཀྱི་འབྲེལ་བ།)

IV. Rapid Development of Various Undertakings (བོད་ནང་གི་དཔལ་འབྱོར་ཡར་རྒྱས།)

V. A Complete Victory over Poverty (དབུལ་ཁྲོལ་དགག་ཁྲོལ།)

VI. Protection and Development of Traditional Culture (བོད་ཀྱི་རིག་གཞུང་སྲུང་སྐྱོབ།)

VII. Remarkable Results in Ethnic and Religious Work

VIII. Solid Environmental Safety Barriers

IX. Resolutely Safeguarding National Unity and Social Stability

X. Embarking on a New Journey in the New Era

This week on The Intelligence Tibet, Drukthar joined by Co-founder of Kunga Tashi Tam (KTT), Kunga Tashi.  Kunga Tashi is a researcher and scholar of modern China and Tibet politics. We discussed on China's two sessions 2021: GDP Target, Tax Incentives, and 14th Five Year Plan, Chinese foreign policy and external relations, Election reform of Hong Kong, and future of Tibet and China etc. 

This week on The Intelligence Tibet, chat with Tenzin Choephel, Co-Founder of Easy Tibetan, discussed on 'An Introduction to the Tibetan Language and Its historical development'. We discussed various topic regarding language and development, details below. 

- What is language?

- The Origin of Language, Religious Perspectives and Scientific Perspectives

- The Origin of Writing

 - Language Families (420): Six Major Language families on Indo – European and Sino – Tibetan language family

- Tibetan Civilisation, Ancient Language and Zhangzhung Language

- Origin of Tibetan Language

- Development of Tibetan language

 - The Three Scripts Revision

Recommendations: 

Gendun Choephel: White History Book (དེབ་ཐེར་དཀར་པོ།)

Easy Tibetan for Tibetan language course: http://easytibetan.org

This week on The Intelligence Tibet, Drukthar joined by Ngawang Tsetan, who founded 'Readers of Dalai Lama'. Ngawang Tsetan is a long serving teacher, TCV Suja, India. Who offers his perspective on the significance of reading books by Dalai Lama. We discussed various issues regarding the reading, learning, discussion, and practice in daily life. In this episode, we focused on his first book My Land and My People. 

༧སྐྱབས་མགོན་རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་དགོངས་གཞི་ལ་སློབ་གཉེར་བྱེད་དགོས་པ་གལ་ཆེན་ཡིན་པ་དང་། ཏྰ་ལའི་བླ་མའི་བརྩམས་ཆོས་ཀློག་པ་པོ་བརྒྱུད་དེ་ཁོང་གི་ཕྱག་དེབ་ཀློག་རྒྱུ་གལ་གནད་ཆེན་པོ་ཡིན་པ་སོགས་གནད་དོན་མང་དག་ལ་གླེང་མོལ་བྱས་ཡོད། 

Recommendations:

My Land and My People (Memories of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)

Freedom in Exile - Dalai Lama 

This week on 'The Intelligence Tibet', Drukthar chats with Tenzin Dorji (Tendor), Dechen Pemba, and Lharong on the Democracy in Exile: Opportunities and Challenges. We discussed various issues on the Democracy in Exile, Election of Sikyong (President of Central Tibetan Administration) and 17th Parliamentarian of CTA (Chitus) and future opportunities and challenges of Democracy in Exile etc. 

This week on The Intelligence Tibet, Drukthar chats with the author of a 'The Underlying Politics of Poverty Alleviation in Tibet', Palden Sonam. We discussed various issues incluing Chinese policies of the 2019 - 2020 Militarised Vocation Training and Labor Transfer Action Plan in Tibet.  How it effect long term Tibetan language, tradition and way of life? 

Recommendations: 

https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/the-underlying-politics-of-poverty-alleviation-in-tibet/

EU, Brexit, China and Tibet Question ཡུ་རོབ་མཉམ་འབྲེལ་མཐུན་ཚོགས། ཨིན་ཡུལ་ཕྱིར་ཐོན། རྒྱ་དང་བོད་ཀྱི་གནད་དོན། 

We discussed importance of Tibetan language and Identity. བོད་ཀྱི་སྐད་ཡིག་དང་མི་རིགས་ཀྱི་ངོ་བོ། མི་རིགས་ཀྱི་འདུ་ཤེས། དུས་རབས་དང་མཐུན་པའི་སྐད་ཡིག་སྦྱོང་ཐབས་སོགས་ཐོག་བགྲོ་གླེང་བྱས་ཡིན།

This week on 'The Intelligence Tibet', Drukthar chat with Tsewang Rigzen, Columbia University, and Darig Thokmey, Oxford University, about the 'Tibetan Policy and Support Act, 2020. Which focuses on the statement of policy regarding Reincarnation of Dalai Lama, diplomatic representation Relation to Tibet (US Consulate in Lhasa), Policy regarding the Tibet environment and water resource, and Democracy in the Tibetan exile community, etc. We also talk about future India and other states' policy on Tibet.