Letter from Almora

"Now Tibet is not so far"
Letter from Almora

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Now playing: Tenzin Dhondup - About the DraNyen
via FoxyTunes


Tibetan activist Tenzin Tsundue, a key figure in the Return March to Tibet, writes from their most recent stop in Almora, Uttarakhand. This letter was forwarded from the group Return March to Tibet.

(The photo was taken at last year's long life puja for His Holiness in Dharamsala.)


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Tenzin writes:

When I packed my sleeping bag that early morning before sunrise for this long journey, I placed a white (khatak) scarf at the alter of His Holiness and said I have decided, whatever happens, I will make my way through. Walking for almost 70 with 300 people covering more than 900 kilometers through Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP, we reached Almora town yesterday in the Kumaon Mountains in the north Indian state of Uttrakhand. From here Tibet is not very far.

The March to Tibet began from Dharamsala on 10th March, the same day similar uprisings happened all around the world, organized by Tibetans and Tibet supporters, even in Tibet – a global Tibetan uprising. We started with 100 core marchers, on our way many more joined us. As we leave Almora tomorrow into the high mountain valleys towards Tibet, we are 300 marchers and eight support marchers who are foreigners from different countries, some of whom have been with us from Dharamsala.

All along the route the Indian people have welcomed us with warmth, cheered our spirit and in some places offered us water and shelter. At most places we spent our nights in Ashrams, Gurudwaras and schools, sometimes on empty grounds on the roadside....


The Marchers wake up at 4 am, after washing and packing sleeping bags, tents and mattresses, we have breakfast and start walking at 5 am. Usually walking for 6 to 7 hours a day we cover a distance of 20-25 kilometers, sometimes walking even 27 or 28 kilometers. The logistics and kitchen team move ahead in trucks and set up the camp. At many places water is luxury. .....
Most marchers are monks from the monasteries in south India; some old people who escaped from Tibet along with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1959, the eldest one being 78. The youngest are two 17 year old boys, born and brought up in India and have never seen Tibet. There are several young mothers who left behind their family in the care of their husbands. ... ongoing Tibetan protests in Kathmandu are highly appreciated understanding Nepalese police brutality.

We are now starting the last leg of the March. From Almora to the border is now barely 200 kilometers, and it will now be cold as we ascend higher into the Himalayas. I know returning to a homeland that is still under foreign occupation is not easy. Chinese military will of course guard the border with machine guns, even Indian police will find an excuse to stop us. Confrontation is inevitable, but we are not stopping. We may even have to camp at the border for a long time, might have to call for international support and participation. We march into uncertainty.

The March to Tibet is a process for us to return to our homeland and reclaim our right to be in our native land in freedom. Whatever happens, we have deep commitment to non-violence; we will not retaliate. We may be beaten, jailed or even shot at, but we are not giving up. And for me there is no other plan in life other than this March. For all of us marchers, this is our life commitment.

For daily updates and photos about the march and to read personal stories of the Marchers please visit: www.TibetanUprising.org

We have a number of non-Tibetan support Marchers who have been walking with us for a couple days or longer, and some right from the beginning.

If you are interested in joining please contact our coordinators: Sherab Woeser sherabwoeser@yahoo.com (cell phone: 0091-9418394426) and Lobsang Yeshi (cell phone: 0091-9410936742 / 9756969141).

If you are far away or can’t join us, you can help spread the word. Donations of sleeping bags, shoes and mattresses can be of great use. Your financial contribution can help feed the Marchers and give water to keep us going. I count for every Tibetan’s contribution towards this movement.

Bod Gyalo! (Victory to Tibet!)

Tenzin Tsundue, on the way to Tibet
May 13, 2008
Almora, Uttarakhand State, India

Passing the torch

Updates - from....
New Delhi, India

April 17 is the day the Olympic Torch comes through New Delhi, on its way to Beijing. This will be a major day of protest action and here are suggestions from the March 10 Uprising organization on how you can get involved.

Already, one Indian torch-bearer (a Buddhist from Sikkim) has withdrawn from participation.

URGENT APPEAL TO INDIAN CITIZENS & OLYMPIC TORCH-BEARERS
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 05:27 AM CDT
When China ’s Torch Comes to India on April 17th - Speak out for Tibet .
We, the undersigned Tibetan individuals and organizations, appeal to all Indian citizens and, in particular, those people chosen to be Olympic torch-bearers, to speak out for the Tibetan people when China ’s Torch comes to India on April 17th.

At this critical moment, when countless Tibetans are suffering under a violent military crackdown by the Chinese government, we need to show that global citizens support the Tibetan people’s right to be free and to live their lives as they see fit.

The courageous actions taken by Tibetans inside Tibet over the past few weeks demonstrate that Tibetans have suffered unimaginably under a half century of Chinese rule. They are now risking everything and crying out for freedom. By speaking out when the Chinese government brings the Olympic Torch to India you will send a strong message to Tibetans, to the Chinese government, and to the world, that Indians support the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people’s nonviolent struggle for freedom and justice.
There are so many ways for everyone to take action.

Torch-bearers can:- withdraw from the relay;
- wear a Free Tibet shirt or hold the Tibetan flag as they run with the torch;
- issue a statement in support of the Tibetan people before the Relay.

Indian citizens can:- join or organize a protest as the Torch passes through Delhi;
- wear a Free Tibet shirt or hold a Tibetan flag as the Torch passes by;
- plan a solidarity action in your town or city on April 17th.

As the Chinese government runs the Olympic torch around the world and attempts to whitewash its human rights violations and legitimize its illegal occupation of Tibet , tens of thousands of Tibetans and supporters will be speaking out to expose China ’s lies. Please join this global chorus of voices calling for justice for Tibet !

South of the border

Or Bored of the South?
Kathmandu, Nepal

Indo-Nepal border to be sealed from March 10
Oh, great. Right in time for me as a I get my visa to return to India. How long is THIS sh*t going to go on?

They may end up having elections after all here in Nepal, but if they do, it will be a Maoist/YCL (Young Communist League)-controlled farce. Reports are already filtering in of YCL assuming "poll protection" duties in the rural areas.

The Election Commission (housed in the former building of the world-famous Hotel Royal) has printed up ballots. On the same page of the newspaper we read that electronic voting machines will be used. So which is it to be?

I THINK (reading local papers, one has to infer a great deal) the print ballots will be used for "practice" and dry-run trial elections - which of course, should have taken place 4 months or so ago.

Yes, Bhutan and Pakistan both recently had successful elections...but in neither case was it their first try. Bhutan went in baby steps... and Pakistan had several false starts for years.

Indo-Nepal border to be sealed from March 10 BAHRAICH, MAR 8 (PTI)--The Indo-Nepal border would be sealed from March 10 and additional barriers and pickets installed on all the passages linking the area with the Himalayan kingdom in view of constituent assembly elections in the neighbouring country.

DIG, Devi Patan, Manmohan Bashal told newspersons here yesterday that policemen in plain clothes would be deployed keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the border.

"A meeting of senior officials of both the countries would be held before the elections for better coordination," Bashal said adding that a close watch is being maintained on Maoists as well as Madheshiya activists.

V for Visa Victory

Yes, I finally got my long-awaited Indian visa for 6 months, double entry. It was a real uphill battle. Basically, they are changing all the rules and regs for second-time / repeat visitors to India from Nepal. I must blog about it soon in detail...just so burnt out right now.

How many times have I changed fonts within this post? At least twice. I tried changing them back and it's not working. Can't deal with it right now...where's tech support when you need them?

Family affair

Royal pain
News from south Asian neighborhood

It was a big week for South Asian politics. Bhutto's assassination, the capitulation of the democratic Nepal Seven Party Alliance to demands of the Maoists to somehow guarantee they will get rid of the monarchy (when previously they had promised to hold a referendum for the public to decide), and the first ever election in the now-former kingdom of Bhutan all would seem to spell change. So why don't I smell change?

Amid all the mourning of Benazir Bhutto and descriptions of her as a champion of democracy, her apolitical 19-year-old son has been appointed her successor. There are also reports that Bhutto "willed" leadership of the Pakistan People's Party to her husband Zardari, as though it were a personal possession. Which, let's face it - I suppose, it actually was.

When is a democracy not a democracy? When its leaders are appointed by non-democratic methods, for one thing. When heredity is 9/10 of the law; and yes, the same formula applies to the Gandhi-Nehrus and Thackerays of India, and many others.

Of course, after the elections of 2000 and 2004 were hijacked by our very own Bush dynasty, Americans aren't much better off.

An article from the Indian Express explains the south Asian grafting of dynastic family structure onto democracy.

Royalism has been democratised in South Asia. In turning our backs on monarchy, we reinvent ourselves as republicans. But this is often a fragile and tenuous republicanism, as the political parties in our democratic polities are mini-kingdoms each with its own royal family.

My own observations: south Asians value stability over change, progress or principles. The continuity of heredity, with all the social expectations of a dutiful son or daughter carrying on the family legacy, is the best way to ensure that.

And, south Asian understanding of family as the most fundamental paradigm overrides any consciously learned, abstract concepts. When all you have is a hammer, everything you see looks like a nail. Unlike most of the west, where the individual is the basic unit, south Asian society seems to be irreducible to any unit smaller than that of the Family.

Therefore, because the current Nepali king was at first given benefit of the doubt, but has proven to be a rotten apple, the whole family has to go. Forget the outrageous Prince Paras who was always out of the question; there is no room to consider the well-behaved daughter or a regency for the very young Prince Hridayendra, grandson of the current king Gyanendra. They are not and cannot be seen as individuals; that's the whole point.

While the Nepali monarchy will suffer an uphill battle to retain even ceremonial kingship at this point, the Bhutanese palace is conversely struggling to encourage its subjects in baby steps towards the electoral process. Evidently most of the political parties were formed at the behest of the King - why doesn't that sound right? - following strict guidelines concerning the nature of such parties. "The king says we have to form some parties, I guess we had better" doesn't sound like a good start on democracy to me.

That other Himalayan monarch, HH the Dalai Lama, is not fareing much better encouraging his people to adopt democracy. He's been pushing the democratic process for decades; the government in exile has now elected a Prime Minister and other officers. In preparation for his inevitable passing, HH continually tries to delegate political tasks to these and other figures, hoping to train Tibetans to look toward other sources than himself for answers.

Within what are ostensibly republics in South Asia, thus, we remain at heart subjects rather than citizens, people who need and love royals....

Old habits are hard to break.

The world with Tibet

Back on the map
News from Bombay

Some Bombay associates of the very cool Indo-Tibetan alliance Friends of Tibet have launched a new world map, including Tibet as it stood prior to the Chinese invasion of 1950.

If you're looking for Tibet on this new map, it is the very large white blob beneath Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Huge!

Sure, there are detractors who say "but all those areas were not traditionally governed from Lhasa;" or "in some of those areas they actually SPOKE CHINESE!" which is sort of like saying, "in some areas of New York City they speak Spanish, that means it is actually part of Mexico."

Anyway, as a big fan (almost fetishist) of maps I was glad to see it. Thanks to Rohit Singh, who conceptualized and designed the map.

Rohit Singh spoke to the gathering of both Tibetans and Indians about the significance of having Tibet in the world map. He said "A country is identified by its boundaries and presence on the political map. Tibet was an Independent country till China occupied it and diminished it from face of World Atlas. This initiative is for reestablishing Tibet on the World Map, to focus on the aspect of its position, its importance and its existence which China is out to destroy." Rohit Singh also requested the people to spread the map in order to educate the people in India about the location of Tibet in the World Atlas.

Trouble in paradise

Blue skies, no tsampa
Leh, Ladakh

I've been trying to wrap up my interview materials here in Leh for the past week. The interview session with the Principle of the Central Institute for Buddhist Higher Studies started off stiff and weird but turned out well.

Actually, I think the monk Kanchen Sonam, who was kind enough to come and pick me up in the monastery-owned car (one of four), is the man who really knows the inside story on the incarnation search for Bakula Rinpoche. No disrespect to his knowledge, but I think the principle was kind of a Buddhist spokesmodel. That is, he knew all the proper "acceptable" things to say to me, In English.

Anthropologists must have a handy jargon term for the phenomenon I keep encountering, but I just call it "assuming the worst." That is, whenever I approach a "native" informant (even with my rather non-corporate, non-mainstream appearance) they assume the absolute worst about me and my writing intentions. They launch into a pre-rehearsed speech (I can tell) about how modern, progressive and un-superstitious their people and ways are. How nobody believes in those old things any more. How all the people here are now educated .... blah, blah, blah.

In this case, I asked a direct question about "the search process for the new Bakula Rinpoche." I got a speech about how things were different now, you know the Dalai Lama himself is very scientific, we don't have any blind faith in Buddhism, etc.....

It takes a minimum of half an hour, usually, to crack this facade. They just assume I am a non-believing skeptical westerner there to mock their traditions. Usually, I have to do what we used to call, back in the hip-hop days, "dropping science."

That is, I have to violate what I consider a rule of interviewing (the interviewee should talk more than the interviewer) and demonstrate a bit of inside knowledge.

In this case, I think it was dropping the Sanskrit term "ishtadevata" (personal chosen deity). We were discussing the role of oracles in local Buddhist tradition, or trying to. I had to start throwing esoteric terms at him in order to prevent him explaining the whole thing from the ground up, which would have been redundant.

Finally, I got a genuine smile. Yes, she kind of understands, even though she is an Injee! "Yes, like an ishtadevata!" he repeated the magic word. In this way we finally came to an understanding, which went something like this (paraphrased): Science is all well and good and very very necessary. But we cannot discard all the old traditions, they have a science of their own. There is something to mystical traditions that is important to preserve, even if we cannot or do not yet consciously understand it.

Whew. Now, we are getting somewhere. The upshot of the conversation was: Yes, the search for the new Bakula has already begun. Since the passing of the Rinpoche, special pujas have been done, and a special mantra, designed to bring about his swift reincarnation, has been recited millions of times by the monks of all four monasteries and is still being recited every morning.

At this time, there are three boys who have come to the attention of the Spituk presiding authorities. Rather than go on a house-to-house search (as made famous in the movie Kundun), these boys came to the lamas' notice through reports. All three of the boys had shown special interest in Spituk Monastery, talking about it, insisting on visiting and so on. One of the boys had reportedly even pronounced Kushok Bakula Rinpoche's name (remember, the boys in question are about three).

One boy is from Nubra Valley, another from the remote Changtang region still inhabited by nomadic people. The third is actually of Tibetan (as opposed to Ladakhi) descent living in the Agling refugee camp outside of Leh.

At this time all three boys' names have been submitted to the Sras Rinpoche, who is heading the Bakula's monasteries in the meantime. He is conferring with other high lamas, including the Dalai Lama, about the matter. In case of any dispute, the final decision will rest with the Dalai Lama. A decision should be reached within the year.

Then, there will be an enthronement ceremony and much rejoicing. "We will invite you!"

All politics is local
It would be a real shame for the search for the new Rinpoche to fall prey to the local political infighting, but it does seem inevitable. As previously reported, the Buddhist political "scene" has for the past several years fragmented into various factions - so much so that, following the November 3rd "incident" at the main Gompa, the Ladakhi Buddhist Association office has remained completely closed. (Faction A and Faction B were fighting, the police were called, and shots were fired inside the Gompa grounds. This resulted in the rallies, protests and strikes mentioned earlier. What I really hate is that the people are practically forced to attend. Some try to make a statement by staying away entirely.)

My attempts to get quotes from local Buddhist "figures" about the Bakula situation and the role played by the Dalai Lama in local peacemaking have been so far thwarted. The LBA office is locked, and no one will even give me a name of a sometime or former or would-be LBA spokesperson to refer to . The Gompa itself (smack in the middle of downtown Leh) is being operated by a volunteer organization who are currently hosting a prayer ceremony.

I saw a notice on the bulletin board naming someone as General Secretary, so I started asking around for him. This caused a bit of consternation among the volunteers. They were just there volunteering and definitely didn't want any trouble.

"Who told you that was the secretary?" someone finally asked. Well, it says so on the board....I answered. "He is not the secretary. No one knows who is the secretary. Soon there will be new elections." But for now, no one's in charge and the whole thing is in disarray.

During the Dalai Lama's visit this year, he met with both Shi'a and Sunni Muslims and lauded them for getting along well locally, saying they were "an example for other communities." At the time I thought he meant Muslim infighting in other countries like Iraq and Pakistan. Now I think he was referring to the infighting in the Buddhist community, right here at home.

Uncommon ground

Democracy inaction

Leh, Ladakh

I spent several hours today talking with Abdul Ghani Sheikh, a Ladakhi Muslim writer, scholar and historian. He and his wife were extremely generous with their time (and with their namkeen tea and biscuits).

Our interview was delayed by a half hour because of a forced strike called throughout Leh. Coming into town I noticed every single shop was closed and shutters "downed." Only the Aluya restaurant had been "allowed" to stay open.

I asked one person if it was a "holiday," and they said yes. (People will just say anything to foreigners. ANYTHING at all to get you out of their face. )

Then I saw the riot police with their helmets, lathi canes, guns and bamboo riot shields (yes, here riot shields are made of bamboo). I asked them if it was a political strike. They also said yes.

Some holiday!

In a nutshell, the various factions of the Ladakh Buddhist Association are having a schism/war/leadership dispute and today was Faction B's turn to shut down the town. Last week Faction A had their chance.

When all the shops are shut, one must not mistake that for support of a cause or even interest in a cause. The shops are essentially forced to close by operatives of whatever political party wants to make a statement. Any shopkeeper not complying is threatened.

That way, there is no competition from business or socializing, and townspeople are essentially forced to either stay home or attend the "meeting" most of them care little about. As Jon Stewart would say, Democracy Inaction!

Mr Ghani Sheikh said, "The shopkeepers hate it, the people hate it. They lose business, they waste time this way. But it has become so common, now they are used to it. They just accept it as part of life now."

In Kathmandu, Kerala and Calcutta, this would not come as a surprise. But "even" quaint, Buddhist Ladakh has become overly politicized ground.

State of the state

UT doesn't mean University of Tennessee
Leh, Ladakh

This morning, my guest house manager stopped in his tracks at the sight of a banana on my breakfast table.

"Where did you get that?"

At the Sabzi Mandi (vegetable market), of course.

"But they are closed!"

I got it yesterday. Closed? Why?

"Today it is a strike. Strike till 2pm. The LUTF."

Ah, the Ladakh Union Territory Front! I thought they had lost steam lately....but no, they still have the ability to paralyze the city, one of the signs of political success in India.

For the past 20 years or so, many Ladakhis have been agitating for Ladakh, which is currently part of the state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), to be declared a Union Territory. A Union Territory in Indian politics is a sort of in between state, neither quite fish nor fowl. Pondicherry is the most famous one; also Daman & Diu, Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep Islands, and there are a few others.

Union territories are usually historically and culturally unique pocket areas within a larger state, that maintain a separate identity. The Union Territories respond directly to the Central government in Delhi, not that of the surrounding greater state. In the case of Pondicherry, for instance, they have a certain degree of autonomy separate from surrounding and dominant Tamil Nadu.

I went out into the quiet, peaceful, empty streets. There were more policemen than civilians on the road. All the shop shutters (metal gates that pull down from above like garage doors) had been "downed." Shucks, there were more shops open on Eid day than there were this morning.

I asked the police officers when the strike would finish. One said "three pm," another just down the block said "2pm." It turned out the strike was a way to force everyone (more or less) to attend the LUTF speeches at the Polo Ground. So I headed toward the Polo Ground, the big open-air space where most public events are held here in Leh.

Several thousand people in attendance, mostly seated on the dusty ground in front of the concrete proscenium. Many carried cardboard placards in one hand, and spun Buddhist prayer wheels in the other. Fortunately the speaker would occasionally translate his Ladakhi words into English, so I could get the gist of them.

Essentially, the Ladakhis (at least these Ladakhis) do not feel much kinship with J&K state, and feel they have gotten the "stepmotherly treatment" from the Srinagar-based state government. Ladakh is a much larger land area than that of the rest of J&K, so this is used as evidence to rope in federal funds for the greater state. However, when it comes to dividing those funds, they feel Ladakh does not get its fair share. Also, the state government being based in Srinagar, and dominated by ethnic Kashmiris, with the official language of Urdu puts Ladakhis at a disadvantage in negotiations.

It is not a matter of Buddhist versus Muslim. There are plenty of Ladakhi Muslims, as I discovered back in August with my police story, who identify more as Ladakhi than Kashmiri.

I spoke with the LUTF leader and main speaker, who looked dignified in his maroon chuba robes. He asked me to come to the LUTF office this afternoon for a printed statement.

This is happening all over India - breakaway "aspirant states" wanting more autonomy and/or statehood status. New states are being created every few years (Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh are only about six years old, I think). The Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh has a similar movement. India's a big, diverse place and I am sure the lines have not been definitively drawn yet.