Originally published in The Pioneer (2003)
In the little hill town of McLeodganj, all is well - almost. The Tibetans-in-exile are still shaking off Losar, the Tibetan New Year, three days of merriment, drinking, and fireworks that wrapped up earlier this week. For the government-in-exile, though, the mood is more contemplative. This year, tradition was quietly set aside: on the first day of Losar, the Dalai Lama and the 17th Karmapa gave an audience to the town - and then sat back while a rock band from Delhi, Parikrama, played live.
Days earlier, the government had sponsored a concert featuring bands from Delhi and McLeodganj alike. Most Tibetans stayed away, preferring to see in the year the old way, but the signal was hard to miss. The government had decided to gamble on less traditional methods—a not-quite-hidden bid to pull the young into the freedom struggle. And where better to start than at home?
Tenzin Jigme, the 23-year-old guitarist of a Tibetan band called JJ Exile Brothers, is blunt about it. “The Tibetan youth are not as aggressive and worried about the freedom struggle as you would think they are.” He was born and raised in McLeodganj; he has never set foot in Tibet, and knows his “homeland” only through other people’s stories. “But everyone has the feeling deep inside. It only surfaces when they get drunk or watch documentaries on Tibet. At times like these, we break down and cry.” And yet, when Sachin Tendulkar spent an afternoon hammering Shoaib Akhtar to the boundary in their World Cup match, the town erupted. Crackers went off; the betting ran hot. “Apna India jeeta hai,” screamed Lekshay, who runs a taxi service in town.
This is the knot the religious leadership is trying to untangle: a generation unsure where it belongs, and increasingly at home in cultures not its own. Even the Dalai Lama, in his New Year message, felt the need to say it plainly: be compassionate, and should you ever return to Tibet, never forget the culture of the government in exile. Others in the leadership have clearly turned the problem over already. Prof. Samdong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of the government-in-exile, cuts to it: “Culture is just a way of life. You can’t impose it.” Even if young Tibetans do drift from their traditions, he argues, there are plenty of Westerners ready to take them up. “Yes, there is a need to impart more Tibetan studies to our youth. We are looking at better education techniques for that.”
The refugee schools, which follow the CBSE curriculum, already run extra classes in Tibetan history, culture, current affairs, and the case for the freedom struggle. In the works are dedicated schools that would teach students about Tibet across all twelve years of study. The urgency isn’t only cultural. Last year, a Tibetan delegation met the Chinese for the first time in years. “It was just to establish contact. Nevertheless, it was a historic moment for us,” says Penpa Tsering, Member of the Tibetan Parliament and director of the Tibetan Parliamentary & Policy Research Centre. “We expect to continue these talks this year again.” The government-in-exile is also quietly hoping for the release of some political prisoners. “The Chinese are unpredictable,” Rinpoche says. “They did show a good gesture last year, and let’s hope they continue with it.”
Tomorrow is Tibetan Uprising Day. The Dalai Lama will address his people and lay out his plans for the year ahead. He has no shortage of things to talk about.