Displaced Tibetan Generation in India
The three decades old Tibetan Monastery Market under the ISBT flyover in delhi is not familiar to many of us. But what may not strike many is the story of displaced generation in themselves.
The market is home to the Tibetan REFUGEES who still are caugth in the memories of Chinese atrocities in the 1960's and when same kids were forced to undertake a two month long trek to India in search of hope, peace and a better future. But did they really get what they were in search of when they came from Tibet to India? Its a question which seeks its reply from ages and is still unanswered.
"Though we miss our motherland, going back is a distant dream that probably won't happen in our lifetime," says one of the young people in the market during an interview. Their coming to India seems a one-way journey, as there is little in terms of economy and education to go back to Tibet.
While many say they are happy being in India, where they also earn their daily bread, but they still have no rights to call India their own. They are still refugees, stilldisplaced, can't vote, can't pay taxes and can't own land. They get no preferentail support for education. Most of the youth study in the local monastery school till about class 8 or 9, but that is hardly the education that can fetch them a job or higher education.
Does the youth seen behind the stalls have no future but to sell goods? Why have they been denied the rights when they too like us were born and brought up in India? Will they always be refugees in spite of being a part of our society for more than 40 years? Is the Government listening?
There are almost 70 shops in this market selling jackets, shoes, denims, bags etc unlike popular belief the goods sold here are made in India and not imported from abroad. They are the one's settled widespread in Dharamshala, Dalhousi, Dehradun and many more places all over India.
They are the one's who have seen many demolitions in the early 1990's who are still not asking for any monetary help but for a little consideration and ackhnowledgement of existence not as refugees but as citizens of India. Till then, they will only be a generation displaced
The market is home to the Tibetan REFUGEES who still are caugth in the memories of Chinese atrocities in the 1960's and when same kids were forced to undertake a two month long trek to India in search of hope, peace and a better future. But did they really get what they were in search of when they came from Tibet to India? Its a question which seeks its reply from ages and is still unanswered.
"Though we miss our motherland, going back is a distant dream that probably won't happen in our lifetime," says one of the young people in the market during an interview. Their coming to India seems a one-way journey, as there is little in terms of economy and education to go back to Tibet.
While many say they are happy being in India, where they also earn their daily bread, but they still have no rights to call India their own. They are still refugees, stilldisplaced, can't vote, can't pay taxes and can't own land. They get no preferentail support for education. Most of the youth study in the local monastery school till about class 8 or 9, but that is hardly the education that can fetch them a job or higher education.
Does the youth seen behind the stalls have no future but to sell goods? Why have they been denied the rights when they too like us were born and brought up in India? Will they always be refugees in spite of being a part of our society for more than 40 years? Is the Government listening?
There are almost 70 shops in this market selling jackets, shoes, denims, bags etc unlike popular belief the goods sold here are made in India and not imported from abroad. They are the one's settled widespread in Dharamshala, Dalhousi, Dehradun and many more places all over India.
They are the one's who have seen many demolitions in the early 1990's who are still not asking for any monetary help but for a little consideration and ackhnowledgement of existence not as refugees but as citizens of India. Till then, they will only be a generation displaced
posted by A Sethi @ 12:01 PM
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