Saturday, June 22, 2013

The new Tibetan realities

Tremendous changes at a fast pace have transformed Tibet altogether. Crass crookedness of Chinese politics has taken away much of the religious and spiritual fervour and freedom of Tibetans. But the planned economic miracle after gaining control over the vast plateau by force in 1950 has cast its own magic in the area. Thanks to influx of Han Chinese and installing sarkari monks in most of the shrines the Chinese government has successfully cinicized the area. Tibetans have no option---they have to get accustomed to the new realities and life styles which Chinese officials have cleverly ordained for them.
  
By Ranjeet
The mysterious culture and fragrance of Tibetan incense permeates all over Tibet, only to be fouled by strong underground political dissent and rush of polluting vehicles and energy consuming modern facilities meant to cater millions of tourists who throng this astounding Himalayan part of the world each year. The highways and railways have shattered the glorious serenity of mountains, but have brought material prosperity in the daily lives of people here. 
         The sinicization of Buddhist Tibet is complete: government of China is encouraging widespread industrialisation of the region. Amidst modern economic life, the ancient religion also does survive here, of course under the tutelage of the Chinese government.
        But ever increasing incidents of self-immolation by Tibetan monks have made Chinese leadership apprehensive while to the outside world it is an unmistakable signal of simmering dissent against Chinese over-control. Interestingly, the leaders of the Tibetan People’s Congress wash their hands off by asserting that these incidents are not happening in Tibet but elsewhere, in provinces like Gansu and Qinghai. These provinces once belonged to Tibet. A decade after communist takeover of the Tibetan areas, the Chinese government granted the status of Tibetan Autonomous Region to the present Tibet, excluding areas of Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and some parts of Yunnan.
         These Tibetan areas were later designated as provinces of the Peoples Republic of China. All these provinces together are described by the Tibetans as Greater Tibet, which comprises almost one fifth of China. That is the reason the self-immolations sent a wave of silent jitter in the Chinese leadership. The Dalai Lama, living in exile, has already conceded the sovereignty of Chinese government over Tibet, and only wants a conducive atmosphere and justification for him to go back to Lhasa to regain the religious authority over the Tibetan people. His other main demand is to merge excluded areas of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai to the Tibet Autonomous Region. However, the Chinese government smells rat in the proposition and is wary of conceding this demand.
         During my recent visit to Tibet, it was quite interesting to look at the Chinese perspective of the need to change the present and future generations of the Tibetan monks and monasteries. Chinese officials showcased the best of amenities that are being provided to monasteries and their Tibetan monks; in the process however conspicuous was their design to transform the independent monks into Sarkari ones. The Chinese government has set up several monk training centres generously funded by the government. Chinese, who are known to work with a vision for the next two or three decades, have opened a Tibetan Buddhism University, where young kids selected from various villages are trained to become monks. I had the chance to visit one of the centres where kids as young as 7-8 years were housed in a hostel, where air conditioned rooms were as good as in any good hotel. These kids get generous amount as scholarship and teachers enjoy fat salaries. One glaring aspect of this university, which was essentially a monk training centre, could not go unnoticed--the hostel rooms were adorned with photographs of Mao Tse Dong, Deng Xiao Ping, Jiang Zhe Min etc. and not a single picture of the religious leaders like Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. Obviously the kids are being impregnated with ideals and thoughts of these leaders rather than their revered religious leaders.
        
This is the Chinese way to brainwash these kids and instill their minds with pro-communist regime of China. Naturally, when they will grow up as adults and deployed by the state to guide and control the destinies of more than 1,700 monasteries across Tibet, they would be preaching religious followers the thoughts of Mao along with the teachings of Lord Buddha. The present Panchen Lama, still in his early thirties, lives not at Shigatse monastery, the revered seat of Panchen Lama, but in Beijing and makes an annual pilgrimage to the holy place. 
         Chinese government does not see eye to eye with the current Dalai Lama, and since no incarnation is legitimately possible, the present incarnation of Panchen Lama, has been trained as sarkari Lama and the Chinese government has taken every care to insulate the young Panchen Lama from the Tibetan religious functionaries. The absence of Dalai Lama from the seat of governance, the Potala Palace, is missed by common Tibetans, who according to locals is revered with deep sense of love, though the Chinese government describes him as a wily insurgent.
         From Potala Palace to Shigatse, a distance of almost 300 km presents picturesque surroundings adorned with ultra-modern zigzagging highways. Monasteries are full of life with devotees performing their religious chores and chanting Sutras. Religious activities take place routinely, except that the state keeps a close watch on them.
         The Chinese government in order to win over Tibetans has invested a lot in infrastructure, which has undoubtedly brought economic revolution in the area and Tibetans are experiencing a life style which was unimaginable a few decades ago. The capital Lhasa boasts of an ultramodern airport, which is connected to the city with a 60 km long expressway. The city itself presents a picture of an ultra modern township with mega malls, shopping centres, eateries etc. The city bustles with economic activities thanks to its Economic and Technical Development Zone, which is attracting millions of dollars as investments.
The economic zone offers immense scope for employment to Han population but local Tibetans too are benefitting a lot. The Tibetan youths have an opportunity to study in one of the best equipped universities in Lhasa enabling them to get skilled jobs in modern factories. The Tibetan youths are also encouraged to study in institutions of higher learning in Beijing and other major cities.
         After the Chinese took control of Tibet in 1951, the first decision was to free the poor Tibetans from serfdom, which indeed has done wonders in their life. A modern life has been thrown open to them and they seem to be enjoying the benefits of industrial development. Their living standards have reached an unimaginable level, though the freedom to lead one’s own religious life is constrained. But Tibetans have no choice. Having the Dalai Lama already accepted Chinese sovereignty over the Tibetan areas; there is little political space left for any adherent group to reverse Chinese control over the vast Tibetan plateau..
( The Article was first published in the monthly magazine of political affairs the ' Lokayat' (June, 2013 issue)

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