Tibetan Refugees in India and Rehabilitation Policy, 2014

During history, Tibet has been an avid invader as well as victim of frequent invasions. The invasion of China in 1951 resulted in Chinese occupation of Tibet. Large numbers of Tibetan refugees first arrived in India in March 1959 after the Chinese suppression of an uprising and the fight of the Dalai Lama along with 80,000 other Tibetans to other countries including India. The Chinese side of the border was sealed in 1960 but Tibetans have continued to flee. Most arrive in India via Nepal where there is a reception centre in the capital Kathmandu.

Current Figures

According to the Tibetan Refugee Census 2009, the Tibetan population in the country is 1,10,095. They have been settled in 45 settlements in ten states viz. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Government of India’s response

When the refugees first began arriving in India, they were accommodated in transit camps at Missamari in Assam and Buxa in West Bengal. In the initial days, an unofficial ‘central relief committee’ supervised their affairs. It received some assistance from abroad but international organizations including UNHCR were not involved at this stage. Prime Minister Nehru agreed to provide all assistance to the Tibetan refugees to settle in India until their eventual return. Nehru sent letters to all the Chief Ministers of State to provide available land to start a fresh life of the Tibetans.  The first government to give positive response to Nehru was state of Mysore. In 1960, the Government of Mysore had allotted nearly 3,000 acres of land at Bylakuppe in Mysore district, as another home for Tibetans. In 1961, the first ever Tibetan exile settlement, Lugsung Samdupling came into existence. The 1962 Indo-China war made it clear that the Tibetans would not return to their homeland in near future. It was also at this time that the Indian authorities first requested international help for the refugees. UNHCR began providing assistance to the Tibetans in India from 1964.

Tibetan Government in Exile

The Tibetan people maintain a government in exile in Himachal Pradesh which is though not recognized by India but is considered government of Tibetans in exile. The Tibetans live under the guidance Dalai Lama through the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). This is something which is absent in all other refugee communities in India.

This administration was first established on 29 April 1959 in Mussoorie, which was later shifted to Dharamshala. Tibetan Parliament in Exile is the highest legislative organ of the Tibetan refugees in exile. The Cabinet is called Kashang, which is apex executive body of the CTA. Each department is headed by a minister (Kalon) to handle the overall needs of the Tibetans. There are seven departments or Kalon viz. Religion and Culture, Education, Health, Home, Finance, Security and Information & International Relations. CTA also opened several foreign missions to look after the scattered Tibetan community. The prime minister is called Kalon Tripa.

We note here that the excellent democratization of the Tibetan political and social system has been one of the most important achievements of the Tibetan community in exile. This democracy has been derived from the Indian democratic system. It is the successful democratic establishment which has kept the question of Tibet alive in the world even after fifty years in exile. The Tibetan Parliament in Exile has gradually gone through massive changes due to change of time as well as development of conditions of Tibetans in exile.

The Constitution of CTA is largely derived from the Indian constitution. This led to the formation of National Democratic Party of Tibet in 1994 for spreading awareness about their political system based on democracy and to initiate new political programs. Other important objective of NDPT is to help strengthen the democratic process initiated by the Dalai Lama.

Economic Condition

Currently there are around 45 Tibetan settlements in India divided into three categories viz. agricultural settlements, handicraft based communities and agro- industrial / scattered communities. They are engaged in agriculture; handicrafts and selling sweaters.  Majority of the early refugees, who were farmers and nomads, took agriculture as suitable occupation. Because of their toil, hard work and discipline, the first refugee’s settlement at Bylakuppe Mysore became a role model for the establishment of other settlement in different states of India to earn their livelihood.

Government of India gave them separate settlements not to integrate them with Indian society but to let them preserve their culture and their tradition. India has been always envied by China for this.

Social Condition: Education

The Nehru government had offered admission for the Tibetan children into different Indian schools so that the education problem could be solved. But, since Dalai Lama felt that the Tibetan culture and identity could be best preserved in a Tibetan School, he requested Nehru to set up separate Tibetan medium schools. The main aim of separate school for Tibetans was to create a balance between modern education and traditional Tibetan system and values so that these children are fully equipped to face the challenges of the modern world and also have identity intact. Under the guidance of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan children are taught the same curriculum in the English medium as the Indian children but they have the opportunity to learn the essentials of Tibetan language and culture.

During that time, many children died due to unsuitable climatic conditions in India but further many had lost their parents on the way to exile or soon after arrival in India. To offer care to these orphans and destitute children, a Council for Tibetan Education was founded with a goal of raising them both in an Indian- Western and in traditional Tibetan curriculum. The first Tibetan school was established in March 1960 in Mussoorie.

Social Condition: Culture

Tibet culture is unique and rich in both variety and form, developed over thousand years. The central part of the Tibetan society is religious and the whole national life revolved around religion. India has given them the facilities to preserve their distinct language, culture, history and traditions and to keep the fire of Tibetan nationalism alive. The rich Tibetan culture and traditions were on the verge of extinction after the invasion by the Chinese and especially during the Cultural Revolution. They have destroyed almost 6,000 religious institutions and monasteries and many scholars and religious leaders were killed. So to keep the unique culture of Tibet alive and to renew the Tibetan traditions among exile community, the Indian government has supported Dalai Lama to establish many religious and cultural institutions in India. Each Tibetan settlement in India has its own separate monasteries for the religious purpose. These religious institutions are mostly used for congregations during various religious ceremonies. Today, there are 179 monasteries and nunneries which have been re-established in India in different settlements.

Tibetan Refugee Rehabilitation Policy, 2014

The rehabilitation policy for Tibetans was first framed during 1959 and since then, it has been reviewed every twenty years. This policy is not a law but only an executive policy. As per the old policies, the Tibetans do not have citizenship rights, which limits their access to government jobs and freedom of movement within and outside India. They cannot own land or property. In some states, they cannot get driving licences or bank loans. Those without identity documents are at risk of harassment, arrests and deportation to China.

The current government within few months of coming to power had framed Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014 to offer uniform guidelines demarcating the facilities to the Tibetan refugees for states to follow within their respective jurisdictions.  This policy mandates the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to conduct the census of the Tibetan refugees every five years. The CTA has been mandated to give the report to the central and state governments. After the announcement about the policy, the states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand have adopted the policy. The Atucnachal Pradesh government has also declared to adopt this policy.

Key Features of Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014

The latest policy has give several benefits to the Tibetan refugees. The key features are as follows:

Land

The state governments should sign a lease document for allocating the land for the settlement of the Tibetan refugees for a period of about 20 years. The land allotted for Tibetan occupation should not be disturbed by the state governments. It should also issue Rent Tenancy Certificate.

Benefits

The policy advises the state governments to extend the benefits of state schemes and the Centrally sponsored schemes such as NREGA, Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), National Food Security Act (NFSA), Indira Awas Yojana, (IAY), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Rajiv AwasYojna (RAY), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), etc

Basic Amenities

The policy mandates the states to provide infrastructural facilities and basic amenities like Roads, Electrification, Drinking Water Schemes in or around the Tibetan Settlements.

Economic Benefits

• The policy advises the states to undertake skill up-gradation and training programmes for the Tibetan refugees.
• They should also permit the refugees to give permission to run Tibetan Bazaars to trade in Tibetan products like handloom, handicrafts etc.
• Qualified professional among the Tibetan Refugees should be permitted to take up employment opportunities in private and non-Government Sectors.
• States have to permit the refugees to carry out economic activities as they desire, and to that trade licenses/permission be provided.

The protests in Arunachal Pradesh

The state government of Arunachal Pradesh recently decided to implement the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014 but has met with protests. The organizations like All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union, Arunachal Citizen Rights, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee and Peoples’ Party of Arunachal have expressed their dissent and oppose to the permanent settlement of Tibetan refugees and their exclusion from Inner Line Permit provisions. The locals argue that the implementation of the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014 would threaten their identity and culture. They argue that it would dilute the constitutional safeguards for the indigenous communities. According to them it would contravene the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873; Scheduled District Act, 1874; Assam Frontier Tract Regulation, 1880; Assam Frontier Forest Regulation, 1891; Chin Hills Regulations, 1896; and  Assam Frontier (Administration & Justice) Regulation, 1945, which provide protection to local populations.

They fear that settlement of Tibetans would endanger the job and other facilities available for the indigenous tribal population. Locals are already upset with the settlement of people such as Chakmas and Hajongs, Nepalese and Bangladeshis. They fear that adoption of such policies would invite similar demands from these communities.

How Tibetan Refugee Issue is different from Chakma-Hajong?

This should be seen in concurrence with state government stance. The state government has said that the fears expressed by the locals as unwarranted. Unlike the Chakma and Hajong refugees, the Tibetan refugees will not claim citizenship. The refugees would only stay in an organized way in three settlements in the state. The state government argues that it is not following any separate policy on the Tibetans. It has stated that it is following only the policy of the central government. In 2014, the central government framed the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014 as India was a signatory to the Geneva Agreement.  On criticisms related to job facilities to the Tibetans, the state government has said that the refugees would not be able to avail 80% of the posts reserved for the locals. They will be permitted to compete only in the remaining 20% in open category.

GS Questions for Mains

1. How the Tibetan Refugee community in India is different from other refugees? Discuss highlighting their politico-economical and cultural administration in India.
2. Critically discuss the benefits provided by Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, 2014 to Tibetan refugees in India.
3. “Chakma-Hajong issue and Tibetan Refugee Issue for Arunachal Pradesh are two sides of same coin.” Do you agree? Explain.