Happy Independence Day

I always get very excited on significant days related to Nation. When you see huge national flag being unfurled, it’s impossible not get lump in your throat with pride as patriotic emotions sweep across the country.

This blog is not about our country but with regard to people who still haven’t tasted political freedom in their lives. We never realize how priceless are our freedoms that we enjoy without any limited and freedoms that we take granted. 

A casual look in newspapers international section, we can understand how many nations such as Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan etc struggle for life and existence. Peace for them seems to have become elusive and utopian as absolute chaos is the order of the day.

H.H.DALAI LAMA

Forget far off lands in Middle East, let us look at our own neighbourhood: China. I remember some Chinese citizen saying how he couldn’t contact someone online coz of Great Fire-wall of china, and how impossible for them to criticize their ruling class and strict censorship in society. Anyways, these stories are hear say and read from different sources. I dont want to talk about authoritarian chinese govts as this blog is not about politics. This blog is of common people in uncommon situations

I happen to get 1^st hand information from Tibetan refugees in India. By some unknown reason, since childhood I had great affinity towards Tibetan culture and esp esoteric sciences of lamas and Mahayana Buddhism . Blame it on Lobsang rampa books which I have devoured in tons and tons that fired my imagination. Moreover Tibet’s topography is just mind blowing (google those images dudes). 

Last  week I happen to meet a 3 year old tiny tot in Tamilnadu . believe me, She had the most beautiful eyes on this planet. In due conversation with her mom, I was surprised to know that she fled Tibet at age of 16. At age of 16, she along with dozen Tibetans fled and undertook arduous and most dangerous trip of their life time across snowy Himalayan mountain ranges. 

prayer room

I asked, in what sanity, would one risk life and limb just settle in India? Her reply was simple “Meet H.H.Dalai Lama” 

i do understand abut Dalai lama .H.H.Dalai lama is magnet of human hearts. It’s impossible not to be charmed by his infectious smile. but still..i was skeptical.

She had to trek in nights and hide in caves or under snow in mornings. Chinese soldiers and Frost bite are constant dangers.  If detected by Chinese, they will shoot with no compassion and impunity. It’s quite normal for refugees to get hand or leg amputated when struck by frost bite. But once they come into territory of India, 
they believe that all these dangers are worth encountering.

Loveliest Eyes

Once escaped to India, they have to forget their families back home as their families in Tibet will have to face wrath of Chinese if known they are still in contact. But their families gladly take this discomfit with belief that their children in land where H H Dalai lama is living. They know they get better life in India than in their own land

India is one of the or maybe the last bastion where Tibetan culture is still preserved in its original form, as she was saying, that back home, Chinese are ravaging Tibet culture, changing demographics, crushing dissent . In Chinese Tibet, its treason and unforgivable crime to carry even stamp size photo of Dalai Lama. 

I countered saying, aren’t Chinese also giving high speed trains and bringing hi tech development into Tibet which they lacked?

Namgyal, another young Tibetan who was born in India to original 1^st generation refugees simply countered 

“Then why did 100+ monks burn themselves to death in Tibet in last one year”

Praveen, you are born in free country and enjoy unlimited freedoms; hence you just don’t kno;w the value of basic freedoms. Thousands of Tibetans flee Tibet to come to India. Parents of children as young as 10-12 are sent to escape to India with full knowledge that they would never again see their children and they might even fall prey to Chinese bullets or nature’s fury in Himalayas. Why? So that they can be free in India. 

It doesn’t matter how beautifully golden the cage is , even if cage is made by rubies and diamonds, still it’s a cage. Its man s basic urge to remain free.”

Well, that explains things. Google about Tibet and its struggle buddies (www.tibet.net). One cannot help feeling proud about our great nation which has given home and hope of freedom to lakhs of Tibetan refugees in their adopted land (India). Tibetans in India have their own Govt-in-Exile, schools, flag, taxes, administration etc.we can proudly say that there is another country within our country (albeit invisible and unrecognised)

Happy Independence Day, my dear friends. …let us respect the sacrifices our freedom fighters undergone to give free life which we now enjoy, while dozens of nations and its citizens still crave for basic democracy 

Importantly, Thanks for your time for reading and sharing my thoughts on this blog