'Images of Home and Exile'
(DAIRA Centre for Arts & Culture, Hyderabad | March 21-25, 2004)

Images of Home and Exile, Hyderabad

'Images of Home and Exile', an exhibition of photographs on Tibet, was organised by the Hyderabad chapter of Friends of Tibet (INDIA) in association with the DAIRA Centre for Arts and Culture in Hyderabad city from March 21-25, 2004. With this five-day long event on Tibet, the activities of the organisation is making a beginning in the city.

The day began with an informal inauguration with few Tibetan students lighting candles and singing Tibetan National Anthem in memory of those who died while defending their country's freedom. People gathered around the photographs eager to know about a country they mostly associated with monks, mountains, thangkas and Mandalas. To most of the people, the social and political situation of Tibet and its close links with India came as a revelation. At the same time, many of the guests offered valuable insights that will be of great help to us in future events and campaigns.

Friends of Tibet Co-ordinators for Hyderabad, Ms Madhuvanti Anantharajan and Dr Rajesh, (a lecturer specialised in Tibetan History, Central University) gave detailed explanations about the background of each photograph and the Tibetan National Flag. Friends of Tibet also explained to people the "E-campaign for the Made in China Boycott" which was launched with this exhibition.

'Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion' (a documentary by Tom Peosay) screened on March 24, 2004 met with an overwhelming response (given that it was the day of the Indo-Pak Cricket finals!) and all of them agreed that was a powerful look at various aspects of the Tibetan issue and put Tibet in a very different perspective from what they'd seen in the past.

"...much more than we expected from a photo exhibition" said one of the visitors to the DAIRA Centre for Arts and Culture, Hyderabad.

Images of Home and Exile, Hyderabad

> 'Images of Home and Exile' was organised by the Friends of Tibet (INDIA) at the DAIRA Centre for Arts and Culture, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad from March 21-25, 2004.