The long walk home

Activist, writer and poet Tenzin Tsundue is leading a march from India to his homeland Tibet, for freedom. The 300 Tibetans who joined him were stopped in Kangra by the police and jailed for a fortnight. But that has not deterred them from pushing ahead with the 900-km march

I am a legal alien
I know what it is like to be homeless. My parents were road construction labourers in the north Himalayas, and I was born in a tent on by roadside. That’s how life began for me, and that’s how it has been so far. These days I spend my nights in a tent by the road that leads to Tibet, my homeland. My education, too, was not at any one institution. I attended school in Himachal Pradesh, college in Chennai and university in Mumbai. Later, I moved to Dharamsala, where I shared a room with five other Tibetans. I have now given up all that to try and return to my native land. In India, my only identity proof is a registration certificate which says that I am a Tibetan. But it does not assign me a country or a nationality - not even as an Indian.

Song of the road
On March 10, 2008, about 300 of us gave up everything we owned in India to begin a long march back to Tibet. The only things we have with us now are our sleeping bags, mattresses and mobile phones. I have spent my whole life looking for a place I can call home. I was born in India, but my family were refugees from Tibet, a country presently torn by strife and chaos. I am also a Buddhist - and believe in the basic principle that Buddhism has the power to change people’s minds, and bring long-term happiness and peace to them. Although I don’t do parikrama or follow rituals, my way of practicing Buddhism is to be a part of my homeland’s struggle for freedom. Buddhism asks us to be selfless and vanquish our ego: I translate that into trying to help free my homeland from oppression and, in the process, find a physical home and spiritual uplift myself.

The right fold path
It is my faith in Buddhism that keeps me going, despite hardships. Today it rained so hard, we had to abandon our tents and take shelter in a primary school. Many monks dug a pit around their tents to drain the rainwater, and began to chant and sing hymns while sitting inside. It was a way for them to stay composed and focussed. When we reach the Tibetan border, there will be even more challenges coming our way, since it is under foreign occupation. There may even be pressure on India to take action against us. But we have to remain calm and unprovoked in such situations.

Freedom first, Nirvana later
The highest aspiration of any Buddhist is to achieve Nirvana. That path is much harder than the one I have chosen to try and seek freedom for Tibet. As our spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says, Tibet was once free but it is no longer so. We have had to accept that situation and make compromises accordingly. But I don’t want to compromise anymore; I want to help rebuild my country. Our demand is human enough — all we want freedom for Tibet in our lifetime. At the moment, I can’t think of Nirvana, or of the Cosmos or any such things. I can only think of my homeland and helping it to gain freedom. After all, we have a commitment to the world. Buddhism tells us to live by principles and lead a true life. It has helped me discover the purpose of my life, which is to do something for Tibet. And as a steadfast Buddhist, I would like to adopt non-violent means to achieve that.

Walking is the best teacher
I have begun this journey and I am happy about it. Whatever action the various governments take, they alone are responsible for it. Our aim will be to try and reach our destination without any provocation. This long journey has also taught me patience: We have to overcome anger and pride because a bigger challenge looms over us now. I feel that walking has been the best teacher for me. We are walking to demand freedom from a country which is one of the biggest military powers in the world. Every step of this 900-km journey will bring us closer to our goal, not just physically but also emotionally and spiritually.

Tsundue spoke to Neeta Kolhatkar en route to Tibet
k_neeta@dnaindia.net