Form 4 went to the Tibetan Colony
in Kashmiri Gate as a part of their unit of Inquiry on Migration.
This part
focused on effects of migration on culture, community and opportunities faced
in the new lands. The students were thrilled to see a mini Tibet in the very
narrow yet very vibrant streets of the colony. From Tibetan food to artifacts
and souvenirs it was all like we were in a different country altogether. The
students’ first stop was a Tibetan temple where the monks chanting was a treat
to the ears. With idols of the Dalai Lama, the students sat inside the temple
and felt how it was different yet with the same peace of being close to
god.
From there we went on to a
Tibetan School where the students got
to interact with the students and
teachers both. In their interaction with the teachers, the students asked them
their questions about what made them leave their country and come to India, how
difficult was it to settle in a new land, what challenges did they face while
migrating, why did they want a colony of their own and make it look like the
one back in their own country. The students from this interaction picked up a
lot on forced and voluntary migration, push and pull factors and also the
political disturbances in China and Tibet.
They were particularly sad to
hear that the Tibetans were not even allowed to practice their own religion and
study their own curriculum and that they were grateful to the Government of India to allow them to do
all that in a land alien to them.
In all, the students have picked
up a lot from the trip and is definitely going to be an ever memorable one.
