What ‘Flame of truth’?

As a news reporter for a Tibetan media outlet, the most boring experience for the past few months has been reporting the global ‘Flame of Truth’ torch relay initiated by Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. The only thing I have to do is replace the ‘Where, When and Who’ while keeping rest of the report almost literally intact wherever it goes. I have sincerely and rightfully so, personally speaking, lost patience to cover monotonous events such as this.

Social media and Tibet

On Sunday (May 27, 2012), I was engrossed and shouting to the television which is airing the final cricket match of IPL (Indian Premier League) when I received a text message from my girlfriend notifying that there is an unconfirmed report of yet another self-immolation by two Tibetans in Lhasa. While the news stirred me out of the IPL excitement, it slowly dawned on me how she has come about from a seemingly hopeless reader of Tibetan news to a potent one. No, she still doesn’t read much but she religiously follows newsfeeds on facebook where much of what she knows come from.  And as expectedly, she got the news from facebook!

Disturbed, not sad anymore

I have held my grounds sad

Even after 30 lives,

I heard and read, set afire

But I am a witness to the last one

Right in the country I am born

So I am thoroughly disturbed

And not really sad anymore now

 

Is my life that significant?

Is the constant haunting question

Coz I am nearly a peer

To Jamphel Yeshi

Who must have thought through it all

Before he finds himself plunged

Right to the centre of the fire.

So I am thoroughly confused

And disturbed, but not sad.

 

Radicalization is not a one way ride

Beijing is the killer that lies and prides in it

But we neither lie nor do we kill others

We kill ourselves as the last resort

So I am thoroughly disturbed

And I see no point being sad and a loser

 

Yes you are right, Jamshey,

A peer I’d call my ‘live’ hero,

As much as you are to all people of conscience,

That you called it a time to give ‘all’ you have.

Although I am a refugee but this body is mine,

One that yearns for that Tibet I am sadly not entitled to

So I am thoroughly disturbed

As I find you so right and true

And your wisdom, tragically meaningful.

Written on March 28, 2012 (The day martyr Jamphel Yeshi died, two days after he set himself alight in New Delhi to call for a Free Tibet.)