Shirin Pajnoo and Aashna Thakur. Photo: TPI

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Dharamshala, India – “I have realised how important it is to speak the truth, speak against injustice, stand for what is right and all while being practical. As they say, “a pen is mightier than the sword,” said Shirin Pajnoo, while she is sharing her experience working with TPI.

Shirin Pajnoo, from SCMC, Pune, India. She shares her internship experiences with Tibet Post International (TPI) recently. “The topic about Tibet was not new, but monitoring instances so closely and reading about the oppression felt like an eye-opener. Meanwhile, I have also studied and researched a lot about Tibetan culture out of personal interest. This has broadened my perspective and increased my knowledge about different world cultures. While writing reports, I came across several websites and videos that helped me prepare and learn better. New topics that I encountered were – Students for Free Tibet India, teachings in Tibetan Buddhism, detainment of activists in Tibet, etc. TPI pushed me to write features, apart from statistical and factual reports which I consider as one of the major achievements during these five weeks” said Shirin.

She continued by saying, “Needless to say, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has always been an inspiration for all generations. During this period, when I write reports about his teachings, I realised that there is more to what meets the eye - he is undoubtedly very funny, wise, witty, and compassionate. He is beyond what we read in books and on websites. I am grateful and lucky for the opportunity given to me because watching his videos during such hard times generates hope and happiness. There is so much to learn from him, which cannot be completed in a lifetime. Albeit the hard technical skills are important, but interning with TPI has brushed up my soft skills. Time management is one major trait I have acquired while working. I also have a massive amount of respect for the Tibetan community, who have made their name in exile and left an imprint on everyone’s heart with their magnanimous nature. It also feels good to see the Indo-Tibetan relations strengthening and growing with the passage of time”.

“I have written over ten reports and conducted one interview in the due course of my internship. I have enhanced my writing skills over these five weeks of tremendous learning. As a student majoring in Journalism, it is very important to get down to the nitty-gritty of the report. Even though it was a remote/work from the home internship, the exposure was large scale and huge. Journalism is such a dynamic field – so many changes, so many uncertainties, etc, but it all drives home to the point about truth. I have realised how important it is to speak the truth, speak against injustice, stand for what is right and all while being practical. As they say, “a pen is mightier than the sword, Shirin added.”

“ I would like to express my gratitude to the editor/director of TPI, who gave me the opportunity to intern in the organisation. my gratitude to the whole organisation for being a stepping stone in this long journey of pursuing Journalism. I hope we continue to fearlessly speak the truth and stand for what is right,” she concluded.

“I've had the privilege to live in Dharamshala and interact with a few Tibetans in the past but the internship with Tibet Post International(TPI) gave me deeper insights about the Tibetan culture, Tibetan cause, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and so much more,” said another intern, Aashna Thakur, a student from SCMC, Pune, India while she is sharing her internship experience with TPI.

“This internship helped me understand the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in deeper detail and it gave me access to learn life lessons about the importance of empathy, compassion, ancient Indian teachings, etc,” she continued.

“Through this internship, I also got the opportunity to interact with the president of the National Democratic Party of Tibet(NDPT) and understand the process of Tibetan elections. I gained knowledge about the various Tibetan organisations including the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and understood their functioning,” she added.

“While working on the reports, articles, essays, and interviews, I learned about Chinese expansionist policies and its atrocities on minorities including Tibetans. It gave me a more grounded understanding of human rights challenges in the Tibetan context and enabled me to transform into a committed volunteer for human rights after the internship program,” Aashna mentioned.

“I also realised the significance of Tibetan rivers for South-Asian subcontinent, their exploitation by the Chinese government and the need for the world to unite against China,” the intern said.

“Apart from this, this internship also helped me improve my writing skills and contributed to my overall growth. I am delighted and thankful to Tibet Post International for giving me the opportunity to intern for them and learn so much from them”, She concluded.