ARTILCES

CALL FOR TIBETAN YOUTH

By: Tenzin Khepahk
The uprising against the Chinese rule was ruthlessly cracked down and suppressed in March 1959. The historical event culminated into the exodus fleeing of Tibetans into exile India. Amidst tensed and uncertain circumstances a large crowd of Tibetan masses surrounded and guarded the famed Norbulinga Palace barring the Dalai Lama to leave the residence for a Chinese cultural show at Chinese military headquarter. However, the great fourteenth Dalai Lama escaped the trap laid down by People’s Liberation Army on 10 pm of the17th March 1959. Several thousands of our Tibetan kinsmen followed His Holiness the Dalai Lama and crossed over hundreds of miles of treacherous and death defying Himalayas. On the yonder side of the mighty Himalayas, the world of exile was greeting our fathers and mothers. Mao’s great historical dream was fulfilled, but partially. Since then almost 1, 50, 000 Tibetans have found their exile home in various parts of the world, with majority of them residing in India. Since then we have undergone unprecedented suffering, misery and poverty.   

But as an old adage goes, “Time is a great healer”. Our Tibetan community in exile under the leadership of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has since then evolved as one of the most successful refugee communities in the world.  

As envisioned by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we Tibetans have successfully evolved to the state where we are now in. We have nurtured a home away from home in exile community across the world. Our achievement has be preservation of our unique culture in exile. Separate settlements for the Tibetan refugees, schools for their children, and monasteries for the clergy. We have our exile Government under the leader of the Dalai Lama had all contributed greatly to the preservation of our identity, unique culture and tradition in an alien nation for such a considerable time. And the basic objective behind all these efforts is to enable we Tibetans to expose the truth behind the Chinese occupation of Tibet to the world. At the same time to preserve our unique culture and heritage, which is going through a period of great destruction and loss in our own home country.
 
We have sacrificed so much from our lives in defending our fatherland and many lives have been lost for the cause we stand for. Under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in exile, we are continuing our fight for the lost nation. Our non-violence and middle path stand towards attaining the Tibetan freedom or any kind of positive settlement to Tibet issue is gaining massive appeal and support worldwide. Today we are not alone in our fight for just cause; various NGO’s, world bodies and public figures world over have joined us in strengthening our fight for the truth and justice.  

The credit for this achievement goes to our older generation of Tibetans, who have dedicated their entire life propagating the truth, about our freedom struggle and creating a society of conscience in exile. Many of them did compromise on a lot of things to ensure that we, the younger generation, rightly the future seeds of Tibet get the best of all in exile. Our parents have given up many of their dreams simply to provide us the best possible future be it education, clothing and anything for that matter. They have shed their sweats and tears to build our community into such a vibrant, dynamic and self-reliant. In a way, I think, they played their role successfully as the facilitator as well as laying a sound bedrock foundation. And now it is our turn, the Tibetan youth, to perform, to carry forward the unfinished and unattained tasks entrusted upon us by our older generations. 

Every time, when I think on this line, certain doubts and questions occupy my mind. Are we, the Tibetan youth responsible enough? Are we serious enough about our responsibility? I am really sorry to say that I am not too sure about this. Let me narrate an incident I encountered sometime in late September of this year, when I was at Majnu-ka-Tilla (M.T) in Delhi. There was an announcement being made by the leader, Tibetan community M.T for the volunteers to participate in a 59 hours hunger strike organized by Dr. Mahesh Yadav, a peace activist and a stern Tibet supporter to show his solidarity for our cause on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.  

The leader repeated the announcement for almost 20 minutes before he received the first volunteer. He was a man in his 70’s, if I remember correctly. No sooner did he announce the detail of the first volunteer, the second followed. She was a lady in her 60’s. I was really taken aback to see a whole lot of youngsters strolling around M.T alleyway and their attitude of indifference towards the announcement. Seriously, for a moment, I couldn’t believe what I had observed. What I could make of the situation then was, since no youngsters were coming forward, I think, those of two Tibetan elders were forced to volunteer for the hunger strike much to their disappointment. And this is what’s been happening at most of our rallies and other campaigns.
 
So, do we, the Tibetan youth really want them to feel so despair, insecure and hopeless about the future? Or do we need some more time to be able to assume the responsibility? It is a tough choice because time is seriously running out for us. It is high time I think we realize our responsibility and work towards it. And for few of those who want to know what I have done at the time, I couldn’t stop myself from going to the announcer. Though it was not possible for me to volunteer but I contributed an amount I can afford for the hunger strike as a gesture of appreciation. We must at least associate and take part in any of these activities is what I think is the need of hour. It is equally necessary too.  

Later, when I followed the story in our websites I had also seen some youngsters along the lady and the old man, which was quite heartening. But how about the rest of the youth, don’t they have any responsibility? Here I am especially talking about those particular youth who thinks that somebody else is out there doing the job of going to rally and demonstration. And those who are least bothered about their responsibility.  

They come under the category of what I call complacent youth and to be true, there are considerable numbers of such youth in our community. But some of you might even argue that joining in rallies and going to demonstrations are not all about our freedom struggle. I agree, but at the same time, what I feel is, for the struggle like ours’ to be successful there is a huge need of a mass participation. And this could only be possible when every single Tibetan realizes their responsibility and work towards our common goal. Youth in particular can play a major role in it. But unfortunately that is exactly where, I think, we are lacking behind.  

But with thousands of Tibetan thronging the streets of Delhi, Mumbai and other major Indian cities during the recent Chinese President Hu Jintao’s State visit, I think we had a glimpse of it and also witnessed how powerful the instrument of mass participation can be if we make use of it. I think, it was a huge success considering the media attention our protest had received, through which many were made aware of the issue. Especially, the newspapers with their luxury of space and time had looked into the depth of the issue which is surely an eye opening read to many of readers in India who had hitherto unheard of our Tibet issue.
 
Our youth also played a very active role in all these places of protest. Many of them were even able to display their disapproval of the visit personally to the Chinese President. They had even breached the security and another youth even attempted a self-immolation. I salute these heroes for the spirit and bravery they have demonstrated in an awesome fashion. Their acts of heroism will go a long way in the history of Tibetan freedom struggle and in keeping the faith on our youth in exile intact as well as sending a strong signal and solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Tibet who have shown great courage and patriotism.  

As someone has rightly said that the youth decides the fate of a nation, we the Tibetan youth in exile have a huge responsibility in transforming our community and most importantly to continue and to strengthen our freedom struggle. And the best possible way to achieve these goals I think is through education.  

We are all convinced about how important education is for the transformation and modernization of one’s community and the nation at large. Only through education we can we build an empowered and informed community.  It is this empowered community that can argue and garner international support for to put pressure to Chinese government.  

I think we are very fortunate to have every opportunity and freedom to study in exile. Every single Tibetan kid gets to go to school unlike its Indian counterpart. Moreover, we have hundreds of them passing out from these schools and pursuing their respective field of study in various Indian universities, which is quite an achievement in itself. But to be able to go to schools and then to colleges are not enough especially for community like ours, who have a challenge to compete against a giant demon like China. What our community needs is as many quality scholars and experts who not only empower our community but also have the power to influence the world opinion. And considering the present state of education and awareness among the youth in exile, I think we have miles to go and to reach up to that level. We got to aim higher, focus more and to be more determined to put that little extra effort.  

A common problem that has been hampering our community is I think we don’t dare to dream high and big. Especially, our youth should aim higher. It is only when we dream high, will we look for the ways to reach there. But things seems to be changing now for good and we hear of Tibetan students being recognized in various Indian universities for their excellence in their respective field of study, which is very appreciable as well as inspiring to other fellow Tibetan students to come and grow academically. 

Back home in Tibet, especially the literacy rate among the Tibetans is very low. Ama Jetsun Pema la in her book “Tibet: My Story” writes about an observation by an English teacher at the University of Tibet, Lhasa in 1986 which says, “Most of the funds reserved by the Beijing government for the Tibetan students are used for young Chinese; 70 per cent of Tibetans are illiterate; the most qualified teachers look after the Chinese, the others are given to the Tibetans; many rural schools were closed.” And I am sure it wouldn’t have changed much in the last 20 years either. To mind you all, we in exile are the only hope for them and especially the youth have to be very cautious of their responsibility. We should make the best use of the opportunity and facilities we are provided here in exile.  

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, while inaugurating one of the youth festivals in Delhi once said. “I want you to think because in no age in human history is thinking more necessary than today. Thinking is always so necessary, but in this age of transition, it has become very essential even for the survival of the nation.” This message aptly speaks of how important it is for the Tibetan youth to think. We have a huge responsibility as discussed earlier and a mass participation is the need of the time, where every single individual counts.
 
And this final message goes especially to those complacent youth, “Longsho.... before it is too late.”