Thoughts on Farewell

Three long years come to an end.

This farewell is quite distinct from that of three years ago.

I feel tempted to make profound claims like "these three years were the most wonderful years of my life" or "studying philosophy changed my life" (which it did), but these statements are mere shadows of the myriad emotions and experiences that comprise these years. 

First few weeks of college were intensely emotional. In a good way. My excitement and optimism at the start of college was successfully fulfilled as I easily fell into place with a new group of friends. Old emotions resurfaced, matured and wrapped in new circumstances, with different actors. New concerns, new decisions, new desires.

People say college is about 'freedom' and 'rebellion'.

I found myself envelopede by new responsibilities and the desire to conform, to fit in, to belong. But in all this- there was a space for individuality, for difference, and conflict. 

Most of all, the first year was about finding a footing.

Gradually, followed the anger, the frustration, the idealism. Philosophy only added fuel to the fire. Disgust at the apathy and lethargy around, including at me. Anger at the apparent futility of what I was studying - philosophy. Ideas, talk and very little action, or so I thought. 

It was in this frame of mind that entered the incredibly charged environment of 'Little Lhasa', Mcleodganj, Dharamshala. It is intensely difficult to grasp and explain my  motivation and inspiration from the Tibetan people, without grossly exotic-izing, romanticizing and patronizing. 

Very simply, I guess at some point in everyone's life, one needs a push. An extremely disturbing and painful (at least in my case) reality check. It hits you, and there is literally no looking back. You're energetic and alive. Confident and assertive. A little more peaceful perhaps, because you think you've found an exit for your anger.

This is what I experienced in that one month. Intensely personal, and at the same time

This experience, consequently, transformed my interactions in college. There was a tangible difference in me, claim my friends. For the better, most feel!

Nonetheless, it was a struggle: juggling the manifestation of this experience in my work with SFT Delhi, and my life in college. Would I be able to successfully integrate the two? 

That was the essential challenge in the last one year.
I am still not sure I have been successful.

However, at the end of it all, there is a feeling of happiness, and contentment.
Obviously, there is sentimentality and melancholic reminiscence of days gone by, but under that, there is a sense of strength (from the friendships I suspect) and satisfaction. 

Ngaba, Amdo (Tibet)

a few days from now, on May 21st, the Chinese Communist Party will celebrate 60 years of its annexation of Tibet. 

proof: the '17-Point Agreement' signed under duress and with fake state seals in 1951.

a monk, not much older than me, self-immolated exactly two months ago (in Ngaba), to mark the third year anniversary of the national uprising in 2008. he died. 

the burnt body of Phuntsok

thousands of Tibetan monks attend Phuntsok's cremation

ever since, his monastery, the historic Kirti Monastery, has been the focus of the PLA's latest militarization. the situation is reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp. a group of 300 monks were arrested, and taken to four prisons for 're-education': synonymous with intense torture and beating.  

 

PLA troops surround Kirti Monastery

high school students are staging hunger strikes as a sign of their solidarity with the Kirti monks.

large masses of common people are out on the streets, trying to prevent the monks from being arrested. an elderly man and woman were shot in the process.

three tibetan men, executives of the largest Tibetan NGO, the Tibetan Youth Congress, enter their 24th day of hunger strike today. they sit in the sweltering heat of Delhi, at Jantar Mantar. 

three brave men: Konchok Yangphel (finance secretary),
Dhondup Ladhar (vice-president), and Tenzin Norsang (joint secretary) 

there has been no concrete response from any front.

what will unfold now? how long will these men starve themselves? 

and yet, life goes on.

i have three more exams to write.

Losar

I came across this video a little while ago. Its not particularly stunning, but I was moved. This maybe because it also happens to be Losar, the Tibetan New Year, traditionally celebrated in Tibet for 15 days to a month. Can you imagine picnic-ing, singing, dancing, drinking chhang and having fun for an entire month with family and friends? 

My Tibetan friends in exile, here in Delhi, are celebrating Losar 2138 (the Iron Rabbit Year) just for three days. 

A little bit of History (courtesy, Wiki):

The celebration of Losar predates Buddhism in Tibet and can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist Bön period. In this early Bön tradition, every winter a spiritual ceremony was held, in which people offered large quantities of incense to appease the local spirits, deities and 'protectors'. This religious festival later evolved into an annual Buddhist festival which is believed to have originated during the reign of the ninth King of Tibet. The festival is said to have begun when an old woman named Belma introduced the measurement of time based on the phases of the moon. This festival took place during the flowering of the apricot trees of the Lhokha Yarla Shampo region in autumn, and it may have been the first celebration of what has become the traditional farmers' festival. It was during this period that the arts of cultivation, irrigation, refining iron from ore and building bridges were first introduced in Tibet. The ceremonies which were instituted to celebrate these new capabilities can be recognized as precursors of the Losar festival. Later when the rudiments of astrology, based on the five elements, were introduced in Tibet, this farmer's festival became what we now call the Losar or New Year's festival.

I wonder how many years it will be before all Tibetans return to their home to celebrate Losar the way it is meant to be celebrated: in the midst of family and friends, with pride and no fear. 

character assassination

The media has gone beserk. Its so frustrating to read and hear baseless accusations flying around like paper planes in a classroom. Claiming the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa to be a Chinese spy based on a large sum of unaccounted-for money obtained from his monastery in Dharamsala is unjustified, apart from being a completely invalid argument. There seems to have been no research whatsoever done on behalf of the journalists. For the first few days I was just in shock: I couldn't believe that people could actually jump at the opportunity to blow an innocuous incident completely out of proportion. The kinds of arguments and facts used by the media to prove the 'Chinese connection' are infuriating. Where is the sensitivity? Knowing the issue to be highly complex, involving the sentiments of over 1 lakh Tibetans, in addition to scores more Buddhists, there should have been careful analysis of all possible scenarios before making such a claim. Questioning the legitimacy of a reincarnate lama on insubstantial grounds is a serious offence. I am so embarrassed, and dont know quite how to make it up to the thousands of Buddhists whose sentiments have been irrevocably hurt. 

HH the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ugyen Trinley Dorje

The Karmapa's Office of Administration has just released a direct message to Indian media outlets, and the message is, "Back Off!" The complete text is as follows:

The Karmapa Office of Administration firmly denies the published allegations that His Holiness the Karmapa has rallied in support of the communist Chinese government whose oppression he fled 11 years ago. We repeat that the preposterous claim that His Holiness is a Chinese spy or agent is a complete fabrication, utterly baseless and reckless slander.

The Karmapa Office of Administration appeals to the press to cease its character assassination of His Holiness the Karmapa, one of the most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism, and a spiritual leader to Buddhists worldwide.

The Karmapa Office of Administration respectfully requests the press to refrain from publishing further uncorroborated and unfounded charges. It offers below the phone number and email address of its spokesperson, and beseeches the press to seek confirmation or denial from its spokesperson, in accord with the standards of responsible journalism.

Spokespersons

Karma Topden
Former Indian Ambassador to Mongolia,
Former Member of Parliament
Adviser to Karmapa Office of Administration

Deki Chungyalpa
Adviser to Karmapa Office of Administration
koapress@gmail.com
(91) 8894 502 910

This statement follows yesterday's lengthy statement, which in part addressed the issue of "SIM cards" allegedly taken during police raids at Gyuto Monastery. The complete text of yesterday's statement is as follows:

The Karmapa Office of Administration adamantly denies the baseless fabrications touted by some media claiming that His Holiness the Karmapa is a Chinese spy or agent. Specifically, reports have circulated recently claiming that His Holiness the Karmapa has acquired lands along the Sino-Indian border. We state categorically that His Holiness owns no such property whatsoever, nor does the Karmapa Office of Administration. Additionally, some reports cite an unnamed source claiming that the Enforcement Directorate seized Chinese SIM cards and possess records of conversations between His Holiness the Karmapa and Chinese government officials. Such inaccurate reports constitute fiction masquerading as journalism and slander one of the most highly revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore, the Karmapa Office of Administration respectfully requests these media sources to cease and desist its defamation of character of His Holiness the Karmapa.

We reiterate that the presence of Chinese Yuan among the 20-plus other currencies found by police has been put forward by some media stories as indicative of spy activity. In response to this preposterous claim, we wish to point out that the currency used in Tibet is the Chinese Yuan, and therefore Tibetans from Tibet often make donations in Yuan, as do Buddhists from mainland China. We further stress that the donations in Yuan formed less than 10% of the total cash amount. The notes came in multiple denominations, ranging from one-Yuan notes upward, clearly reflecting their origin as donation from multiple individual sources. Some of the Yuan were new notes bundled together, reflecting a practice among Chinese and other cultures of offering only new currency notes to high abbots or spiritual leaders. Furthermore, disciples from Chinese cultures often visit India in groups, pool their offerings and make a single collective donation. The Karmapa Office of administration maintains records of all visitors who receive private audience with His Holiness the Karmapa, and these lists record numerous groups of individuals visiting together from Tibet as well as from mainland China.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has publicly expressed his confidence in His Holiness the Karmapa. The Tibetan government itself unequivocally demonstrated its support of His Holiness the Karmapa, who is the revered head of a 900-year old order within Tibetan Buddhism. Members of groups across Tibetan society have voiced unwavering support for His Holiness the Karmapa. His Holiness himself stated yesterday in public that he had faith in the Indian rule of law and that the truth will prevail in time. He emphasized that India is a second homeland to Tibetans.

thoughts on migration

The philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti says, ‘Your consciousness as an individual represents the consciousness of humanity’. I thought I had comprehended the meaning of this statement when I first encountered it in high school, and volunteered to teach English to rural children. I realized how naïve my understanding was when I spent one month this summer in Dharamsala. 

Who is a person? What is consciousness? Such philosophical questions have frequently visited debates and discussions in my class. My exposure to the Tibetan community has helped me engage with the concept of an individual’s identity, how this identity is constituted, and ways in which identities undergo change in relation to external and internal environments.

I had earlier taken the connection between being a citizen of a free country and individual identity for granted. Having myself always felt a sense of belonging to a family, a nation, a culture, I was jolted out of my comfortable cocoon. Tibetans who have been born and brought up in India, whose idea of ‘home’ is grounded on the recollections of their elders, experience an uneasy sense of loss. Where are they from, and where do they belong? I observed that the Tibetans, having been forcefully displaced from their land, experience a greater urge to preserve their culture and identity as Tibetans. It then becomes critical to understand the complexity through which identities are constituted, especially for those in exile. The poignancy of this human condition is captured by poet and political activist Tenzin Tsundue, “I have nowhere to call home and in the world at large all I’ll ever be is a ‘political refugee’”.

The physical movement of people globally, and the fluidity of such movement, results in flexible and often fragmented identities. In my understanding, the premise for a phenomenon like migration (whether forced or voluntary) to exist is Krishnamurti’s statement, ‘you are the world’. In other words, the universality of the human experience allows the global movement of people. A study of migration is then a study of this global consciousness in its various manifestations be they economic, political, or social-anthropological. 

why Tibet?

Tibet is an occupied country. This is the single, most crucial fact to remember in any work for the movement.

Today, India and China share a border that is almost 4000 kilometres long, one of the most heavily guarded international boundaries in the world. Six decades ago soldiers along this frontier were few and far between. What changed? China invaded Tibet.

Scientific research has revealed the Tibetan glaciers to form the third largest reserve of water after the North and South Pole, hence the name often associated with Tibet: Third Pole. China’s complete disregard for natural resources, as displayed in their rampant mining of minerals in the Tibetan plateau, has caused serious damage to the fragile ecosystem. Some of the most severe cases of global warming are experienced in Tibet. The coercive settlement of nomads, whose thus far sustainable existence allowed them to live in harmony with natural processes, has caused greater soil erosion, depletion of vast expanses of grasslands, and instability in environmental cycles.

for more info on rivers in Tibet, and China's construction of dams visit: http://www.meltdownintibet.com/f_riverbyriver.htm 

The rivers originating in Tibet feed close to 500 billion people in Asia. The direct access to these rivers that China has gained as a result of its illegal occupation of Tibet poses serious threats to not just India, but other South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. There is not a single water treaty in place to share the waters of these rivers. Global climate change is clearly a danger that the world faces, water shortage, in particular, being a key point of concern. Tibet is a significant component of any dialogue on climate change. Except, no one talks about it.

The issue of Tibet today is not solely the responsibility of the Tibetans. Indeed, it is a reality that all of us have a stake in.

Students for a Free Tibet, India (SFT) is one of the 650 worldwide chapters of the international Not-for-Profit organization Students for a Free Tibet. SFT India was founded in the year 2000 as a loose network of young activists and students based in Dharamsala. Today, it has grown to a nation-wide campaign for the Fundamental Rights of the Tibetan people. The vision of SFT is to make the occupation of Tibet too costly (economically, politically and socially) for Beijing to maintain. We use non-violent direct actions to attain our goals. My involvement with the Delhi chapter of SFT India is very recent: since June 2010. Since then I have been involved in advocacy work, outreach campaigns, action camps and non-violent public protests. As an active member of SFT Delhi, I am engaged in organizational and networking tasks, setting long-term and short-term goals, identifying targets, brainstorming, taking decisions, strategizing, and planning the little details of campaigns to make them most effective. SFT India particularly aims at harnessing wider Indian support.

Working with SFT has revived my hope in change, and made me aware of the great power of non-violence. Growing up in a country that reveres Gandhi (indeed does little else), where most view ideas of non-violence and compassion as outdated and signs of weakness, experiencing the gradual, yet sustained success of non-violent direct actions within the Tibetan freedom struggle is over-whelming.

It is quite reasonable to believe that a fight for a perfectly just society appears to be a utopian ideal. It is the injustices that can easily be resolved that demand our urgent attention. It is such injustices that we question and fight in our support of the Tibetan freedom struggle.  

Mining and the Brahmaputra

Beginning in 1999, the Chinese Government conducted a secret 7 year survey of the Tibetan plateau in search of mineral deposits. With an investment of $44 million, the survey led to the discovery of many deposit sites including a seam of copper and gold deposits along the Yarlung Tsangpo (the Brahmaputra in India) gorge.

The Chinese government set about facilitating contracts for extracting deposits from this site (Shethongmon mine). A property option agreement was signed between China NetTV Holdings and a Canadian Company, Continental Minerals.

DIRECT CONSEQUENCES

The primary process of copper and gold mining requires large quantities of water of which the obvious source would be the Yarlung Tsangpo.

The ore is found in conjunction with arsenic laden pyrite. After grinding, the rock is washed with acid that helps separate the ore from the rock. The remnant of this process is a highly acidic mixture consisting of arsenic and cyanide. At times, the process of ore separation is not completely successful with portions of the ore being left behind. This will cause copper contamination when it reaches the groundwater.

INDIRECT CONSEQUENCES

Siltation –An excess of siltation leads to flooding, a problem already existing in areas along the Brahmaputra. In this project, siltation will happen in the following two ways: first, 300 million tonnes of rock have to be first removed, before reaching the 182 million tonnes of ore, and second, in order to carry out mining, intense deforestation is required to get to the rock containing ore.

Melting of glaciers (Deglaciation) – The Brahmaputra is only one of the two rivers that are perennial because of their origin in glaciers. Intense mining activities indirectly lead to environmental changes that speed up the melting of glaciers immensely. As the glaciers retreat, the volume of water in the rivers will increase at first causing widespread flooding. They will then go in to a rapid decline reducing the volume and flow of the rivers, making them merely seasonal. According to a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) climate report, at the current rate of temperature rise the Himalayan glaciers could completely disappear by 2035.

Any industrial mining activity involves the usage of machinery over a long period, and thus the use of fossil fuels. These fossil fuels are a major source of greenhouse gases.

The second largest contributor to global warming, Black Carbon has already caused a 7% increase in glacial retreat a year. Black Carbon emissions originate from coal powered stations and diesel engines. A railway line has been built through the Shethongmon mine to carry the ore from the mine site to the smelter. An estimate has been made that approximately 210,000 tonnes of ore will be transported to the smelter. With a single train being able to carry a maximum of 5,000 tonnes at once, this will mean 42 trains a year or one train a week will be required to carry the ore. Once functional, the fuel will lead to the emission of large amounts of black carbon and thus glacial melting.

Other environmental changes – The Tibetan plateau serves as an "airshed" for the Asian continent. The northern jetstreams flowing over the Plateau determine the timing and force of the seasonal South Asian monsoons in India. Deforestation on the Plateau will delay and weaken the summer monsoon, endangering the livelihood of millions of farmers who depend on these rains. 

(with inputs from Reecha Das and Ananya Ramani, SFT India interns)

climate change rally

Today, Thursday 9^th December, SFT Delhi did a silent march in Delhi University, North Campus. The Global Climate Change Summit taking place in Cancun, Mexico is scheduled to come to a close tomorrow. Any talk of climate change, we feel, is incomplete without talk of Tibet. The aim of this march was to raise awareness about the critical role of Tibet in any dialogue concerning Climate Change. 

SFT Delhi student volunteers

We used two banners which emphasized Tibet as the ‘Third Pole’. We also handed out pamphlets containing factual details of the major Asian rivers originating Tibet, rapidly melting glaciers, China’s merciless construction of dams, mining, deforestation, soil erosion and other forms of environmental degradation. The resettlement of nomads in Tibet was also highlighted. The lifestyle of the nomads is ideal for conservation of the environment. The coercive restriction of movement of nomads is directly affecting the Tibetan grasslands. All these points were discussed at the start of the march. 

The march commenced from the Arts Faculty at two o’clock in the afternoon. Our route covered most of the colleges in North Campus: St. Stephen’s, Hindu, Hansraj, Kirori Mal, Ramjas and Shri Ram College of Commerce. There were close to fifty students taking part in the march. There were many Indian supporters, particularly from the North East. Most marchers carried placards reading different slogans: ‘Tibet’s Glaciers are Melting, South Asia is Drying’, ‘Tibet’s Rivers are the Lifeline of Asia’, ‘Stop Mining Tibet’, among a few. En route, many passers-by stopped the student volunteers to enquire about the march. Pedestrians were seen pausing to read the banners and placards. The protesters received encouragement from various people, from rickshaw pullers to busloads of school children to strangers on the road.

Placards 

The marchers returned to the Swami Vivekananda statue in Arts Faculty where everyone gathered to wrap-up the protest. SFT India Grassroots Co-ordinator, Shibayan Raya opened the discussion with some comments on the aim of the march, climate change in general, with specific emphasis on Tibet. He also thanked the volunteers for their support and effort, and briefed the gathering on SFT Delhi’s forthcoming events. 

rangzen festival

sft delhi and the gandhi study circle, st. stephen's college organized a two day festival (27th and 28th october) on tibet that drew students in large numbers. the festival was held at st. stephen's college with a combination of diverse events in an attempt to portray to students the cultural, social and most importantly political relevance of tibet.

the festival opened with a yak dance and opera that became very popular.
yaks in the main corridor!

    

 tingmo and meat stew!
 the tibetan food stalls quickly ran out of food. 

the photo exhibition kit, with write-ups on the history of tibet, the growth of the community-in-exile and the freedom movement, was strategically placed at the entrance to the main corridor so as to attract walkers by. Many students and teachers were seen curiously inspecting the panels.

     

the most poignant exhibition of the gross cruelties of the Chinese govt was the Great Wall of Shame, a photo-exhibition displaying detailed accounts of murder and human rights violation by the CCP. Many were overwhelmed by the graphic details of the photographs, while some questioned the tibetan students at the site about the photographs.

           

prof. srikanth kondapalli
there were two inspirational talks by Mr. Vijay Kranti and Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli strongly emphasizing the threat India faces. the interactive session with Ven. Bhagdo and Tsewang Dhondup, their brutally honest accounts of their experiences moved many to tears. 

        

hearing the personal accounts of tibetan students who came from tibet, over the himalayas, was particularly touching.

       

the closing event of the festival was the dance performance by tibetan students showcasing traditional nomadic, and modern dance styles. 

       

are we nero's guests?

The idea of justice, to my mind, is tied to the practice of development and respect for human rights.

Development is inextricably linked to ethics. In any attempt at defining ‘development’ one is caught up in moral and ethical dilemmas of various kinds. In a globalized world with blind superimpositions of changes in the name of ‘development’ on traditional spaces, Gandhi’s conception of sustainable development and indigenous technology gains importance. Who decides what to change and how? How does one define development, and for whom is one defining this concept? The premise for development is change. Change from an existing social order to a supposedly more sophisticated one.

In my last year in high school, I volunteered to teach English to students in rural schools. It was around that time when I also started studying theories propounded by environmental thinkers like E. F. Schumacher, M. K. Gandhi and Arne Naes, coupled with environmental activism in school, I began to comprehend the complex web of cause and effect that shapes this word: development. Human displacement, environmental degradation, involuntary poverty, warped priorities, and myopic vision and goals were some of the issues I first began to encounter and understand at that time.

I confronted another dimension of development during my internship with the International Justice Mission in Manila. Working with victims of human trafficking introduced me to conflicts concerning the exploitation of the human body and gender-related problems. This brought to my attention the all-pervasive nature of the concept of human rights.

Working with Tibetan refugees as a part of my internship in Dharamsala over this summer, my understanding of human rights and social development grew manifold. This has led to my active and ongoing involvement with Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), a non-governmental organization that uses non-violent direct actions to attain its goals. I was involved in their advocacy work, outreach campaigns, action camps and non-violent public protests. Through my individual interest and activism I have grown to acquire a leadership role in the capacity of President of the SFT Delhi chapter, where I am engaged in organizational and networking tasks, which have sharpened my skills as a worker in a large organization, setting long-term and short-term goals, identifying targets, brainstorming, taking decisions, strategizing, and planning the little details of campaigns to make them most effective.

With this powerful exposure to understanding some of the worst methods of systematic violation of human rights, I have now become sensitive to debates concerning human rights, the state and the citizen, and seek to question our understanding of the concept of development. It is this internship that first made me think of pursuing a vocation in development, human rights and justice. It is quite reasonable to believe that a fight for a perfectly just society appears to be an utopian ideal. It is the injustices that can easily be resolved that demand our urgent attention. It is such injustices that we ought to avoid and question in our analysis and practice of ‘development’. 

A Tibetan Hero

I am a final year undergraduate student working with Students for a Free Tibet, Delhi.

I want to tell you about a brave young man.

Dhondup Wangchen is a Tibetan man who is serving eight years in prison for a crime he did not commit: for making a film that tells the truth.

‘Leaving Fear Behind’ is a poignant film that captures the suppressed voice of Tibetans inside Tibet prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the film, Dhondup Wangchen courageously documents the views and concerns of Tibetans from all walks of life. A young man tells us of his underground education movement in an attempt to save the unique language and culture of his people. A nomad relates the restrictions on cattle grazing by the Chinese government. A farmer weeps at the very mention of the Dalai Lama.

Dhondup Wangchen’s film tells of Tibetan life under Chinese occupation from the eyes of Tibetans.

Visit www.leavingfearbehind.org for details on the film. Sign a petition for the release of Dhondup Wangchen at www.studentsforafreetibet.org

What is ‘Democracy’?

Uproar in the Karnataka Assembly and subsequent claims of the death and mockery of democracy.


Liu Xiaobo wins Nobel Peace Prize for his sustained efforts in upholding human rights in China and calling for democratic elections.


Preliminary elections in Kyrgyzstan, one more step in the Central Asian country's path to democratic reform, signalling stability in a terribly troubled region.


First round of elections for Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, a community striving to build a strong democratic government.


A couple of events in the past couple of days, combined with my growing interest in political happenings around the world, have led me to question my understanding of the concept of democracy. In the face of such struggles for arriving at democracy, what do I, a citizen of the world's biggest democracy, understand by this? I don't know, quite frankly. What is my relationship with the government, the state? In a democratic setting, what rights do I enjoy? What are the freedoms that I am entitled to, and am I taking them for granted? How closely is my sense of belonging, my identity as an individual tied to my being a free citizen in a democratic country?


What do you think?

thoughts on a journey

bottle-green

parrot-green

lime-green

yellow-green

thousands of shades of green whiz by my window as I journey down to Bangalore to see my brother and visit old haunts. a vast stretch of unknown land. fields, trees, bushes, rocks, rivulets. a man urges his cattle to plough his field. a poultry farm. muddy water. a scarecrow in an inviting field. a river! beautiful in its still movement.

blue. white. blue. white. blue. white.
another train rushes by.

a lone woman carries firewood home. a temple. a well.

I remember the intricate topographical maps I drew in geography class in school. every road, every temple, every well, every stream was spotted. 

Leave Taking

Memories come flooding,
like water cascading down a cliff.
Innocence and bravery,
a child's dream.

Familiar faces,
so distant, yet always present.
The paraphernalia,
of a burdened mind.

The valley is blooming,
singing praises of youth
and childhood happiness,
why am I unable to partake in this celebration?

Unhappy moments come reeling back.
Remind me of my despair and suffering.
Why now, as I prepare myself
to leave a part of my soul?

I withdraw
my tentacles that have taken root deep.
Seven long years of experiences,
being lodged forever in my brain.

I am detached,
of the place I love so much.
My home, my self, my refuge,
all a repository of memories.

I am not alone!

Wrote this when I was leaving school, more than two years ago. And now Im going back to visit. Will I "partake in the celebration" this time round?

Summer 2010

The Gurukul Program is a one-month long exposure to Tibetan culture and society provided by the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I was attracted to this programme for two reasons. In my study of Indian Philosophy, I felt academic analysis alone was incomplete without an appreciation of the manner in which these philosophies were actually lived out. In particular, my ‘incomplete’ introduction to Buddhism perturbed me. The Gurukul programme, I felt, would provide me an ideal opportunity to live with and observe a community embodying a philosophy I craved to know more about. I have been greatly moved by the Dalai Lama’s constant insistence on compassion and altruism as powerful tools to face the growing challenges of global conflicts and suffering. I was curious to see the manner in which the practice of compassion is not just integrated into daily activities, but forms the premise for the entire ethics of a community. Compassion is their religion and philosophy.

At the start of the journey, I was apprehensive and excited at the prospect of meeting new people and spending an entire month with strangers. Our coordinator, with his contagious smile put us all at ease. I found young individuals like myself, inquisitive and friendly, taking a break from their hectic lives, embarking with me on this trip to a space completely different from anyone’s comfort zone. The friendships I have formed over this last month, mostly over hot chai and parathas, are very precious for me, because we all share memories of an experience that was truly life-changing for me.

The first three days of the programme were brilliantly organized and coordinated by the Foundation. The entire group was spoiled with travelling in pre-arranged taxis to and fro the various stops on our itinerary. Those were three busy days, with just about enough time to squeeze in a breakfast here and a lunch there. In short, we were given a tour, of sorts, of the goings-on in the Tibetan community ranging from politics to education, arts and crafts, performing arts, and activism. We were introduced to and put in touch with people we could contact at a later stage. The aim was to give us an idea of the various activities that we ourselves could engage in, in different capacities, whether as students at the Norbulingka Institute or the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, or as volunteers with any of the numerous non-governmental organizations active in Dharamsala.

The Temple at Dolma Ling

The girls were accommodated at the Dolma Ling Institute and Nunnery. This institute was set up under the Tibetan Nuns Project which was founded over two decades ago to provide education and aid to nuns from Tibetan and Himalayan regions of India. Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute was the first institute dedicated particularly to higher Buddhist education for Tibetan Buddhist nuns from all traditions. It offers a 17-yr curriculum of traditional Buddhist philosophy and debate coupled with modern courses in Tibetan language, English, mathematics, computer skills and basic medical training.

We had to follow the routine of the nuns, in that our meals were with them in the dining hall, and we were invited to watch their debates in the evening. During this time, the otherwise serene and quiet nunnery would be filled with animated voices of the nuns busy debating. We were also invited to attend their weekly morning prayers in the temple, but few made it to the 5am puja! The nuns also gave us a tour of their classrooms and their library which we were free to use.

Morning Prayer at the temple

The nuns offered to arrange Buddhist philosophy classes for those of us who were interested. Their monk teachers were invited to teach us and we had three to four classes a week, in the evenings after dinner. These classes were truly invigorating. Although I had studied the basic tenets of Buddhism in college, learning from a monk was quite different. Our teachers put special emphasis on the practical implementation of the teachings. Every once in a while during Gena’s (teacher’s) lecture, he would urge us to ask questions, specific to our daily lives. Scheduled for an hour and a half each, the classes often ran on for three to four hours. I was intellectually stimulated and enjoyed every moment of those sessions.

At the SFT India office

I volunteered with Students for a Free Tibet (India) and my experience has changed the way I relate to the world now. There were five of us from the Gurukul Programme who were working with them. At the same time, the Little Lhasa group was also in Dharamsala. This programme is SFT India’s one week intensive educational tour of Dharamsala and the activities of the Tibetan movement there. As volunteers, we were free to attend the sessions of the Little Lhasa group, thanks to which I got the opportunity to watch two tremendously moving and inspiring movies: ‘The Sun Behind the Clouds’ and ‘Leaving Fear Behind’. My interactions with the people at SFT, the Little Lhasa group, basically anyone who would spend any time at the office, were incredibly educational. Apart from contributing to designing awareness and recruitment posters, I gained enormous knowledge on the historical growth of the Tibetan movement, and techniques of direct action. It felt empowering to be with people who were actively engaging with conflict around them, as opposed to the milieu of lethargy and apathy I had just come from.

As a volunteer, I also got the opportunity to take part in a candle-light vigil on International Day in Solidarity with Torture victims, which was followed by an evening of poetry and literature. This event was organized in collaboration with SFT India and GuChSum Movement. The Gurukul students also organized a fundraiser concert for the April, 2010 earthquake victims in Tibet. We managed to raise Rs. 4500 which we gave to the Yushu Earthquake Charity Committee.

Practising for class!

A group of fourteen students took classes at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA). Three of us learnt the Tibetan Flute and the rest, the Dranyen. Our teachers were senior artists at TIPA and we had daily classes for three hours in the morning. We formed deep friendships with our teachers, who were themselves not much older than us, and would relate to us their personal histories. My flute classes were held at various spots in and around the TIPA campus, including the café outside. Since we were a small group learning the flute, we progressed swiftly, beginning with ‘Happy Birthday to you’, and from there progressing to more difficult Tibetan songs, including the Tibetan national anthem. Our teacher, Lobsang Gyaltsen, also taught us the unique Tibetan musical notation style. Our interactions with Lobsang went beyond flute class as well, he took us for day-long treks through villages and streams to a beautiful waterfall, untouched by popular tourism.

Coming back to Delhi was an incredibly difficult task, both physically and emotionally. One of the first observations I made upon my return was the intense sense of hostility and anger pervading all spaces, public and private. On the streets, in shops, at home, in college, everywhere one interacts with people I realized I had become sensitive to the unfriendly vibes. In Dharamsala, without consciously realizing it while I was there, I was surrounded by peaceful people. Since my interactions had been primarily with the Tibetan community I can speak only for them: I was embraced with compassion and love. One can actually feel their contentment, in spite of immense suffering. This is perhaps not unique to the Tibetan community, but my intimate suspension in their culture gave me a pleasant awakening from the cocoon I was unknowingly wrapped in, in Delhi. It is so easy to react with anger and violence to anger and violence. Most of us fail to see other ways of dealing with difficult circumstances. Compassion and patience are seen more as signs of weakness than anything else. The most important ‘lesson’ I learnt from my time spent in Dharamsala was to view compassion as a powerful instrument of communication and dialogue. It is a difficult tool and requires much practice, but I am eager to try and give it a chance.

My experience with the activists in Mcleodganj and my exposure to the movement has led me to re-examine various notions that I had so far taken for granted, for instance, the relationship between the state and an individual. It is only when you experience the loss of something do you realize its value. Observing the deep sense of loss and displacement felt by Tibetans in exile, their experience of not belonging anywhere, their embodiment of refugee-hood, and very simply, living in exile, awakened me to the intricate connection between one’s understanding of the state and one’s construction and embodiment of one’s identities. I have also become more sensitive I find to questions about ‘culture’, what defines culture, what roles do people play in constructing culture, should culture be saved. My curiosity in this field and in social anthropology has been aroused as a direct result of observations of and interactions with a community desperately clinging onto its culture in its fight to survive, and at the same time embrace the global community. 

Solitude

The pulsating of my heart

awakes me.

I'm touched by nothing,

yet everything touches me.

Soft whispers of the 

spirits, in the trees,

in the earth, in the

sky, are my companions.

Warm life

escapes from the ground I walk on

and flows through me,

reminding me of who I am.

Who am I?

Gentle touch of the breeze

on my eyelashes.

A butterfly

kisses my cheek.

A current passes down my spine,

the sheer beauty

stuns me

into silence.

Stillness

in the movement

of life around me.