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15 ITBP personnel start Tibetan language course in Dharamshala
The programme is aimed at providing ITBP personnel with basic knowledge of Tibetan to help them communicate with local people in border areas
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A three-month Tibetan language course has begun for Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) in Dharamshala.
Around 15 ITBP personnel from different states are attending the course. It is the first such course for ITBP personnel at the LTWA since 2006. Learning basic Tibetan is aimed at helping them communicate during ground-level interactions in border areas and gain an understanding of Tibetan culture.
Geshe Lhakdor, director of the LTWA, said, “The director general of the ITBP, which comes under the Union ministry of home affairs, requested us to teach Tibetan to its personnel for three months. There are 15 personnel from different states who have come to learn basic Tibetan language, both speaking and writing. The course started on September 28,” he said.
“This is the first batch since 2006 and the seventh batch so far. The last batch was held in 2006,” he added.
The programme is aimed at providing ITBP personnel with basic knowledge of Tibetan to help them communicate with local people in border areas. Ani Norzom, a Tibetan language teacher, said knowledge of the local language, culture, food habits and traditional practices was important for personnel deployed along the border.
“Sometimes they have to deal with people who do not know English or Hindi and speak only their own language. If the personnel know Tibetan, they can at least speak a few words and communicate with them,” she said.
The LTWA also offers daily Tibetan language classes taught by experienced teachers to help people better understand the language and Tibetan culture. The LTWA has been teaching Tibetan to learners from India and several other countries for decades.
