Sushmit Ghosh and Nitin V. George
We read books on Che Guevara. Read his articles…his biography…his speeches. And then, we watched The Motorcycle Diaries. And we hit the road for the hills…on a roaring Enfield. Fantasising ourselves as new millennium Che Guevara and Alberto Granado comes easily to us, never mind the insult we heap on the two biking stalwarts in the process. Realising we were not yet travelling across India on the Bullet sort of dampened our spirits; nevertheless we still rode towards McLeodganj.
We had heard and read vaguely about the Chinese occupation of Tibet till Sushmit and Anshul (another one of the four players in this story) met Tenzin Tsundue. Inspired by Tsundue and more curious to know more, we ended up in the hills.
A soft wind was blowing as we pulled into McLeodganj. The bike ride had been an exhilarating one and we were joined by Anshul and Sushant: the fellowship was complete and all that lay in front of us were Tibetan accounts – tales of sorrow and torture, life under a gun-nozzle and tales of bravery and hope.
We found out that Tsundue is a treasure house of information. As a young man who crossed into Tibet and then tortured and deported back to India by the Chinese, he’s devoted the rest of his life fighting for self-determination for his people. Tsundue and Choeying (another activist and friend to be) introduced us to Buddhist philosophy and its role in the peaceful Tibetan struggle for independence. As we sat at a rooftop restaurant, with a spectacular view of the Himalayas, we talked about the current status of Tibetans in India. Sipping our milky tea, we mulled over the Bombardier railway line cutting into the heart of Tibet…about the millions of Chinese who would travel and settle in Tibet…and about the potential environmental, economic and socio-cultural disaster that would result from it.
We ended the conversation as the sun set into the hills, leaving everything around us in a soft red hue. It seemed a perfect note to end the discussion.
Over dinner, we talked in length about the Tibetan elections with Tenzin Dhondhup. Having recently made a short documentary on the issue, he was probably the best source of information on the issue. We discussed the Dalai Lama and the exile government’s policies…about China and it’s stance on Tibet…the need for an information campaign on Tibet and the inadequacy of physical violence in this struggle. Again, we felt quite intrigued that a nation facing such brutality, its people being tortured and killed in droves of hundred, would choose non-violence as a method of resistance to occupation. Slowly, we started to appreciate Buddhist philosophy.
Next morning, we went to the Tibetan Children’s Village – one of the finest Tibetan schools in the country. The sprawling campus had the four of us drooling – I wish we had such picturesque schools in the city as well! We met a class of sixteen year olds and walked out to the back of the school. As we sat beneath a mast of prayer flags, old trees and weathered rocks, we talked about our dreams and aspirations for the future…we discussed the idea of a free Tibet vis-à-vis an autonomous one…and we ended on a high note – together singing a peppy folk song that the four of us teach everyone who’d care to listen – Pahadi Pe Per Tha.
After the morning dose of crackling laughter, giggling girls, exchanging of e-mails, we were in the mood for something serious. So, Tsundue took us to meet a couple of exiled political prisoners. We learnt of their struggle in Tibet…their lives as young boys and young adults…their experience in prisons and their torture routines…we talked in length about their views on the Dalai Lama’s belief in autonomy and the need to involve more people in this movement. They showed us a photo exhibition on Tibet – powerful images of monks being beaten, shot at, mowed down monasteries and peaceful demonstrations…the photos seem burned into our memory. What struck us most about these men was that despite having gone through such physical pain and emotional distress, the fire to do something for the community burned bright in their eyes. We walked out of the office in a sombre mood. The sun was playing in the sky with fluffy white clouds…
Over dinner (which included traditional Tibetan soups and curries), we met a Tibetan researcher. He had been working for quite some time with refugees and documenting their lives and experiences. His work is fodder for the plethora of organizations working for the Tibetan cause. (For confidentiality reasons, we will not name him).
We picked up interesting facts about Tibet – its economy, current political status, life for a common Tibetan in the country, political inadequacy of the Indian government regarding this issue and a plethora of other issues. The objectivity with which he spoke seemed to interest us more in his talk. There seemed to be sincere concern in his voice for Tibet, but he talked to us in a fair and detached manner about the issue – a true researcher!
Late into the night, we talked on end with Tsundue about Tibet and watched a couple of documentaries as well. As we were staying at the Students for a Free Tibet office, we had plenty of material to dig into.
On the final day, we undertook a Kora. A Kora is a spiritual journey around a sacred place. As we walked around the Dalai Lama’s temple, we realised that we too were on a Kora – it was our journey to understand the Tibetan struggle for self determination…for a dignified life in their land…and the fight to keep their culture and history alive. Our journey to find out how we could make some difference – how we could be a part of it. Writing this from Delhi, there is pride, awe and respect for the Tibetan freedom movement – our journey has just started and there’s a long way to go…hopefully, Che and Alberto would be proud!
