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.)

Still Refugee

'R' stands for Refugee

My mind is restless

Constantly in quest of answers

For which I fail miserably

While time flies by mercilessly.

And I remain static and still

Reminding me I am still refugee.

I have heard enough of nations

Rise and fall and rise again.

When will time for Tibet come?

I wonder and remain utterly unknown

For they say “might is right”

Which I believe is China’s pride.

I wonder about with exile permit

Could never get ‘home’ so far.

I need to feel and say with proud

This is my ‘home’ and my destiny

And do away with the exile tag

Before I can reasonably demand to live life

For I am 26 sans a sight of Tibet yet.

Despite the killings on spree in Tibet

Thanks to infamous CCP hands

The spirit of nationalism still grows

With time, it will be hard and solid

Take the shape of a horn of full-grown bull.

And only then will China take notice of us meek so far

And say, yes, “Free Tibet”, let’s go back

Until then I will be still refugee

This is getting an age-old feeling.

Written sometime in November 2009.

My Hero

'They' kill me deep within

And hurt me most

Attacking the core of my pride

My culture, my identity

My religion, my hero

Tenzin Gyatso.

They name call

And ridicule him

To mar his position

In the global arena

But strong and

Determined as ever

Off he starts everyday

Preaching ‘peace’

In an undying spirit

To the mighty China

Whom he has forgiven

My hero Tenzin Gyatso

A rock star of peace

A symbol of principles

A divine soul nurtured

By Buddhist values

He is my real hero

Tenzin Gyatso

May you live long.

Written sometime in November 2009.

CCP can’t choose my parent!

As a little boy growing up in a Tibetan refugee camp in 1990s, I remember once asking my parents (well my father) about the 15th Dalai Lama and he didn’t take it kindly and gave me a good rebuke. In Buddhist tradition, it is not allowed because it is considered unreligious to talk of a Lama’s future reincarnation when he is still alive. And here we, the Tibetans, are worried and talking about the future reincarnation of Dalai Lama. To all Tibetans and Buddhists worldwide, it is already a very saddening experience to hear and talk about the present Dalai Lama’s future incarnation thanks to China’s ridiculous meddling in the issue to meet its political agenda. In the process, I feel we have discounted the relative significance of the present Dalai Lama in anticipation of the next Dalai Lama’s question – a feeling that my father would have shared had it been that he is still alive.