My Tibetan Education

Anisha Francis

My first glimpse of Tibet showed me snow, mountains, Buddhist lamas, more snow, and the huge hairy Yeti- through the quaint comic, “Tintin in Tibet”. For years after that, I knew nothing more about your beautiful Himalayan country, other than what I learnt from Tintin’s trip. And of course, the Dalai Lama to me was a famous saint and a global personality who travelled the world and smiled a lot.

Two years ago, a taste of Tibet came back to me, in the form of a plate of hot steaming momos, a red sauce that looked and tasted like volcanic lava, a bowl of rich soup with an un-pronounceable name, and the company of a good friend. And still, to me, Tibet was only a distant country, that sends most of its population to bake in Chennai’s heat for some unfathomable reason- that was the extent of my ignorance.

It was only after the uprising of 2008 that I understood why Tibetan kids were living in India, miles away from their homes and their parents, why the Dalai Lama travels everywhere , but not to Tibet, and why China was regarded with such disgust and distress by all the people concerned.

I was blown away by the gritty patriotism that young children from Tibet have for their nation. By how every news article about developments in China or Tibet are closely read, cut out and saved. By how teenagers are so up to date about the twisted political equations involving the two countries- the oppressed and the oppressors, and surprisingly, even their connection with India. By how Tibetan youth are so much more aware about China’s threat to India’s north eastern border, about the pressures of border violations and unfair statements being applied on the already weak boundaries, than the average Indian youngster. It takes an immense amount of courage, to live in exile in a strange land, amidst uncertainties about the health and well-being of parents, of sisters and brothers living half-lives back in Tibet. I salute this courage.

Indians are largely a peaceful, accommodating kind, with just a few loose screws here and there that give the country, and its sack full of different religions, a bad name. While I am glad that we could be host to all Tibetans who choose to make his or her way here, and each one that decides to make India his/her home, I still hope that one day soon, all Tibetans would be able to live, love and worship freely in their own beautiful land.