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It's always difficult to make a start - more so I guess to start a blog. What should the first entry be about? Will people be able to read it till completion? Will they bother coming back to read my blog again? There are just so many things that can be written on a blog - it's one of the most wonderful creations of the online world because it's not restricted by the number of words that you need to fit in a blog, nor the content which doesn't adhere to a predefined theme. The possibilities are countless and the freedom immense. Perhaps, that's the best and worst part about a blog. Without a theme it's difficult to make a start.
I spent a good part of the day today reading about Tibet and the draconian use of military power that China is using in the region. It's a pretty damn depressing scenario. I've always had a soft corner and liking for Buddhists, specially the ones in the Himalayas. The origin of it probably lies in the considerable amount of time I spent wandering and hiking in Himachal Pradesh when I was supposed to be doing my undergraduate studies in Chandigarh. They are peaceful people who were living in a self sustained though poor economy before the Chinese took control of the region.
It's unfathomable how any government can raid monasteries and throw Buddhist monks in jail. And to make things worse there is very little noise coming from other governments of the world. China is a giant of the world and with it's ever increasing stature no one wants to have the Chinese superpower on their wrong side. For three months tourists have not been allowed in Tibet and journalists usually don't get permission to enter the region either. It's a red curtain and what little we come to know is in all likelihood just the tip of the iceberg. Computers and cell phones have been seized from many monasteries cutting them off from the outside world. In this backdrop the Olympic torch was paraded in Lhasa in front of around 50 journalists from around the world to show how normal things were.
There are reports that a show of the symbol "T" by sportsmen participating in the Olympics will be a sign of their solidarity with Tibet and hopefully some will have the courage to do so from the medals podium even if it means being disqualified. Somethings are more important than sports and Olympic medals and hopefully the coming Olympics will show that governments might not be willing to take the Chinese headlong on the issue, but it won't stop caring individuals from doing so. As for me, I'll just boycott the proceedings.
Tibet as a geopolitical entity is nothing in world but here is the chance for people to do something for the nothing.
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You will be surprised to know that Lhasa is actually a thriving township with malls, cinemas and other conveniences, with teenagers dressed in jeans crowding the sidewalks just like any other city. It's not a place heaving with discontent, no burnt cars, protest marches or flashing lights.
Sometimes it is best not to succumb to perceived wisdom, and think things over like an apostate. Would Tibet have had a future without China? The tremendous economic benefits of China's rise are bound to percolate down to Tibet, wih a better way of life for all. What's the alternative? To wither into a 19th century state like Mangolia?
Tibet's discontent arises from its expatriates and its Buddhist monks, most of whom have taken refuge in other countries such as India. The average Tibetans themselves are quite content with the state of affairs. It suits the West to portray China as some kind of hegemonistic monster, but one needs to take a fresh look at things. Nebulous notions of freedom need to be tempered with counterbalancing ideals of stability & progress.