People in the West Kameng district are shocked that there was a theft at the Thupsung Dargye Ling monastery. It was confirmed on Saturday morning that about 20 small Buddha statues had been stolen from the prayer wheel shed at the monastery. This is a place where both locals and tourists go to pray and meditate.Residents of the West Kameng district are in a state of shock following the discovery of a theft at the Thupsung Dargye Ling monastery. On Saturday morning, it was confirmed that approximately 20 small-sized Buddha statues had been stolen from the monastery’s prayer wheel shed, an area frequented by locals and visitors alike for meditation and prayer.
Jikmey Rinpoche of the monastery said that even though the theft was only recently discovered, he had seen statues go missing over the past few months. The Rinpoche said that the act is completely unacceptable, no matter what the reason. He stressed that these statues are not considered antiques, but they have an important spiritual purpose because they comfort people who come to pray. He said that if these kinds of thefts keep happening, it will be almost impossible to get the holy things back.
The event has shown that there is a big hole in the monastery’s security system. The main buildings have CCTV cameras, but the long railings that hold the prayer wheels are not being watched. The Rinpoche said that the surveillance system needs to be expanded right away to stop more desecration of the holy space.
Dr. Darge Tsering, the Senior Veterinary Officer, was the first person to notice the theft while he was out for a walk on Saturday morning. Dr. Tsering was upset and asked visitors to treat religious sites with the respect they deserve. He said that this kind of antisocial behavior not only deeply hurts religious feelings, but it also unfairly makes all visitors to the area look bad.
The incident has made people in the area more angry, and they are now more suspicious of tourists in the area. Reports of similar crimes, like shoplifting and the theft of items from resorts, hotels, and homestays in and around Tawang, make this worry even stronger. The monastery administration is asking people to be on the lookout and protect the sanctity of their religious heritage from those who would exploit it, as the community calls for justice and better security measures.
