Buddhist site in Guntur district faces monumental neglect

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NAGARJUNASAGAR, India -- Anupu Park located near Macherla town in Guntur is one of the important Buddhist religious sites in Andhra Pradesh. This is where Acharya Nagarjuna was believed to have taught his disciples. The Anupu ruins were surrounded by lush green gardens and beautiful parks, till recently.

But the visitors to the park who came here to attend the Buddha Jayanti celebrations organized by the state government on Saturday were shocked to find the place in complete neglect. All the greenery around the park has vanished due to the lack of maintenance. Several Tibetans, who visited Anupu and Nagarjunakonda museum, expressed their dissatisfaction over the poor maintenance.

Horticulture department foreman Sunil Kumar said the motor of the borewell in the park had tripped thrice in the last one month due to frequent fluctuations in power supply. The entire Anupu Park, it seems, has dried up due to poor maintenance.

Incidentally, the state government, during the World Tourism Conference in Hyderabad, had decided to celebrate Buddha Jayanthi at historical Buddhist sites including Anupu but did not do much to improve the conditions at the park.

Hence, the festival at Anupu only showcased the utter casual attitude of the tourism department.

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Recovering Tibetan Buddhist Monk Faces Uncertain future

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Dharamshala, India -- Less than a year after his self-immolation protest, Tibetan monk Dawa Tsering is now making good recovery from his burn injuries, but his future remains uncertain, a source with contacts in Tibet told TCHRD Monday, September 17, 2012.

"Dawa Tsering has got his life back and his health condition is quite well," the source says. "And he longs to return back to his monastery."

"But his future remains unknown and uncertain because he might not be allowed to return back to his monastery. Instead, he could be jailed at any time," the source adds.

Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (CHRD) has received two recent pictures of Dawa Tsering and his father at their home as he recovers from injuries he sustained during his self-immolation protest. The pictures show a gaunt Dawa Tsering with his chin and throat shriveled up and the area around his throat showing dark patches.

Dawa Tsering, aged 38 at the time, set himself ablaze on 25 October 2011 shouting slogans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet, during a religious ceremony at Kardze Monastery in Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

Dawa Tsering was a monk at Kardze Monastery for seven years before his self-immolation protest. He now wants to return to the same monastery to continue his studies. His family, including his father, is taking care of him at their home in Kardze.

But the family is facing financial problems as they struggle to meet Dawa's medical expenses. There is no information as to whether the Chinese authorities have offered any help in terms of free subsidized medical treatment.

"I heard that his Dawa's family is having financial problems, as they have to bear the medical expenses for Dawa at home," the same source said.

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