I Do Not Want My Culture To Disappear

By Jhamtse Gatsal Graduate Namgey C.

I am currently pursuing a course in Tibetan Studies in Dharamshala. During the course, I have been studying Tibetan History. The more I learnt, the more I realized that there was barely any information about the Monpa people in the context of the Tibetan culture. I checked with my History professor too, but she said that a lot of documentation existed on Tibetan History, but there were hardly any texts that documented the history of the Monpas. After much research in our libraries, all I found was one book which gave a good description of the Monpa community. Since then I have written a couple of essays on the ancestry of the Monpas, the origin of the name ‘Monyul’, etc. and hope to continue this. I hope some day I will publish my own books which record the beautiful and enriching history of my people. 

I do not want my culture to disappear with time. I want to make sure that it is preserved and celebrated in the future. This is the reason I have decided to become a Monpa historian. I want to record the rich history and culture of the Monpas. It is my way of giving back to the heritage with which I have grown up. I hope this will inspire more children to embrace their heritage and find ways to contribute to its preservation. 

Namgey (left)