The Flame of Truth arrives in Swiss

Flame of Truth, the torch relay initiated at Dharamsala on the 6th of July 2012, coinciding with the Birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, by the member of parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration, reached today, on 1st November 2012, in Switzerland at Zürich after traversing 38 countries worldwide, the last stop being at Milan in Italy.  Venerable Kusho Wangchen la,  Tibetan member of Parliament Europe, has led the European leg of the relay. He and the torch was received in Switzerland jointly by the organizations of Tibetan Community of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, European Tibetan Youth Association, Tibetan Women's Association in Swizterland and Tibet Swiss Friendship Association.

Around 700 Tibetans and supporters had gathered to welcome the torch at Bürkliplatz, Zürich. The reception of the torch also coincided with the reception of the 40 odd marchers who had started a peace march from Solothurn to Zürich on the 30th of October. The crowd joined the members of the Folklore group of the TCSL for a proud rendition of the Tibetan National anthem to welcome and salute the torch and its message of support to the spirit of extreme courage and vision of the 62 self immolators and countless others in Tibet struggling for basic human dignity, rights and their call for the return of His Holiness to Tibet.

Swiss member of parliament, Mr. Martin Näf, joined the rally in show of his personal sympathy and support of the torch and its symbolic message. Kusho Wangchen la, along with the representatives of Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women's Association Switzerland and Tibet Swiss Friendship Society addressed the crowd. President of the Tibetan Community of Switzerland and Leichtenstien, Mr. Lobsang Gangshontsang, in his address, welcomed the torch to Switzerland and  spoke at length informing the crowd on the purpose of the gathering and the relay.

The torch will en suite travel to the Swiss Capital Bern on the 3rd of November and will reach the southern Swiss city of Geneva, the seat of United Nations office on the 4th of November where it will finally end its almost half a year voyage traversing 39 countries globally on 10th December 2012.

Photos