"I think the great fear of every Tibetan is that our story will die out," a Tibetan refugee in India told Brandon Stanton of the 'Humans of New York' fame who is currently in India as part of a world tour in partnership with the United Nations. "It's been over fifty years now since Tibet lost its independence. Our monasteries have been destroyed. The Chinese language curriculum is being mandated in our schools. More and more Han Chinese are moving into Tibet-- building homes, building malls. I think now we are all starting to think that the Chinese are too powerful and that the dream of returning home is fading away."
There are about 150,000 Tibetans living in exile in India, mostly the second generation of those who escaped China, following their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Since then, they have grown as a community but continue to carry the hope to return to their homelands someday.
Today, even as Narendra Modi interacts with Chinese President Xi Jinping over issues ranging from border disputes to economic development, Tibetans are staging protests across the country and in the capital, urging Modi to address their concerns.
Several Tibetan Youth Congress members were detained for protesting outside the Hotel Taj Palace as well as near Dhaula Kuan in Delhi. One protestor even climbed a pole with a 'Free Tibet' flag tied to his waist.
The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile which operates from the hills in Dharamshala, also held a special session on Tuesday to discuss Jinping's India visit. Despite decades of struggle, Tibetan political leader Lobsang Sangay continued to express optimism over the visit. "We respect India's commitment to form peaceful relations with all its neighbours. We believe that a strong Sino-Indian relation would be beneficial to the Tibet cause," he said at the parliament.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Dalai Lama, too, asserted that Tibet's problem is also India's problem.
READ: I'm a socialist and Marxist, says the Dalai Lama during his Mumbai visit
What is the 'Free Tibet' movement?
In 1959, a large exodus was witnessed after a failed attempt at military resistance by the Tibetans to reclaim their nation from China. Thousands fled Tibet, along with their religious and political leader — The Dalai Lama.
Over the last six decades, since 1951 to be precise, Tibetans have called for independence from the existing Chinese rule, with demands ranging from complete independence to some factions even agreeing to settle for basic autonomy. However, it has been nearly impossible to get any compromise on the part of the ruling government of the People's Republic of China, with numerous failed talks and weak attempts at diplomatic settlements. "The hard line policies practiced by China in Tibet have persisted for generations. The third generation of Tibetans have now started protesting against the Chinese government. The main cause of the Tibetan people’s grievance is the lack of freedom in Tibet. Therefore, the biggest lesson that India can give to China is its belief in principles of freedom and democracy,” Sangay stated at the meeting.
Photo Credit: Manit Balmiki/DNA
What are the Tibetan refugees in India demanding?
Sangay, along with the many Tibetan refugees, is urging the Chinese president to lift restrictions imposed on the Tibetan people and ensure that the Tibetans are granted their rights as enshrined in the Chinese constitution.
The 'Free Tibet' movement has, however, gained tremendous momentum with varied international support pouring in from all quarters. Prominent international leaders, celebrities and even political heads of many nations have pledged their support to the cause, whilst also condemning the alleged human rights abuse in the Chinese controlled Tibet.
And yet, despite it's popularity and pop culture association, there has been little progress on the demands itself. In just the last four years, for instance, over 130 Tibetans have died in public self-immolations to protest against the ruling government. But there was little or no response to these acts of 'self-sacrifice'.
Tibetans have also found support for their cause among many Indians who have come forth to pledge solidarity with them.
There is a renewed effort from the Tibetan government in exile in the form of the 'Middle Way Approach Campaign' (Umaylam in Tibetan). Launched earlier this year, the campaign is culturally aligned with Buddhist policies of the Tibetans.
Find out more about it here:
“We hope that President Xi Jinping will gain some insight by seeing the unity in diversity of India’s languages and people. The foundation of India is based on a strong belief in principles of democracy and freedom," Sangay adds with some hope.
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