The Tibetan Community in Auckland will be celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 83rd birthday this weekend on 30th June.
Thuten Kesang QSM is the founding chairman of 'Friends of Tibet'. He is also the recipient of the 'Peace award' from Peace Foundation in Auckland. He has been the President of Auckland multicultural society and is the subject of the documentary 'Team Tibet - Home Away from Home' produced and directed by Robin Greenberg. He was also awarded the 'Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award' by the Dalai Lama in 2009. His autobiography 'Tibet: The Home I left Behind But Will Never Forget, My Story' was published last year. He was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for Public Services in New Zealand in New Years Honours list 2002. 
Thuten Kesang QSM told SBS Hindi,
“TEAM TIBET Home away from Home" Documentary team Source: Thuten Kesang QSM
"I was educated in India from 1954 to 1967. I came to New Zealand in 1967. I was the first Tibetan refugee to come to New Zealand but I did not come under the refugee quota I was sponsored by my friends from India who were already here."
"I first came to a place called Kalimpong in Darjeeling which was a trade centre for Tibetans arriving from Tibet. My father was a businessman. He wanted me to go to an English school in India so that when he would retire, I could take over the Indian part of the business. When I first came to India, I had to learn four languages, Hindi, Bengali, Nepali and English. This was a good experience for me and I have never looked back. The education that I received in Dr Graham’s homes, is the reason why I am here today. I am here today because of the good grounding, good education and good upbringing in India. People don’t realise how lucky we are in India to be able to do all this as refugees."
Thuten Kesang QSM mentioned that the Dalai Lama’s birthday falls on the 6th of July but they were having the celebrations a few days ahead,
Dharamsala, India, SneakyBoy/CC BY-SA 4.0 Source: SneakyBoy/CC BY-SA 4.0
"We are having the celebrations this year on 30th June as we will be having two representatives from the Central Tibetan Administration (based in Dharamsala, India) coming here and this time we are combining this celebration with the 'Thank You' celebrations. As you know in India, 'Thank You India' events have been organized. Similarly, wherever Tibetan refugees are living they are organizing events to say thank you to the host county."
Mr Kesang also had words of praise for India,
Source: Thuten Kesang QSM
"We have been living as refugees for the past 60 years. About 170,000 Tibetan refugees live in India. So this year, 2018, was a landmark year for the Tibetan administration. They held celebrations throughout India to say Thank you to India for all the assistance they have given to the Tibetan refugees."
"At the same time, the Tibetan diaspora living all around the world, wherever there is a big gathering, we are also taking the opportunity to say thank you, for example, we are here in New Zealand so we are saying thank you to the people of New Zealand."
"I always say to people, never forget where the seed was sown. The branch is very strong because the seed was laid in the very foundation of India and that seed is very strong and this is the reason why we are such successful refugees all around the world, because of India. To all the Tibetans living in Australia and New Zealand who are listening to this, always remember the root of the tree, never forget that."
Butter offerings in Buddhist temple outside the home of the Dalai Lama, Steve Evans/ wikimedia commons/CC BY 2.0 Source: Steve Evans/ wikimedia commons/CC BY 2.0
Thuten Kesang QSM was vocal about his affection for India,
"I love India and I go to India many times. Although I live in this beautiful country, I always feel India is my home. Whenever I get homesick I listen to old Hindi film songs."
In the flow of the interview Thuten Kesang QSM literally ends the chat on a high note singing a few lines from the extremely popular old Hindi songs "Sau sal pehle mujhe tumse pyaar tha" and "Chaudhvin ka chand ho"
