RAJPUR - Twenty One Years Later

Conversation classes with a bunch of bright Tibettans are a speedy and fun process. Aside from a little shyness at communicating in a second or third language, a few prompts are all that is necessary to start long discourses on the state of modern Britain and Tibettan relations with China, the current composition of the England football team (I've *missed* guy conversation...) and comparisons of ideals of love in life, relationships and literature. They're smart cookies. And musical, as well. We've been serenaded in Tibettan and English. Everything from the Eagles, to Boyzone and Take That. And Celine Dion. But you can't have everything, right?


Karma plucks away at some of the finer chords in Back For Good. That song will never die.

Talking to Stephen about how he sees the future for his boys, it's clear that he is in somewhat of two minds about the whole thing. On the one hand, it's clear that the House of Peace is a terrific project and that the lives of everyone who comes through it have been dramatically turned around for the better. And it's enabled Stephen himself to become immensly well connected in the west (he was sitting next to the President of Croatia at George Dubya's prayer breakfast this year. How cool is that?!) On the other hand, though, hope for the future doesn't necessarily extend to Tibet itself. The current Dalia Lama is now 71 and s clearly not going to be around forever. His leadership has been inspired: but it comes at a price in that the Tibettans believe firmly in the principle of the Dalia Lama and so, when he does die, the process of finding his successor will begin. Who will be a child. Then, after the twenty one years of maturing and education, he will take on the mantle and pick up Tibet's cause. But what will the world look like after twenty one years? China has modernised the Tibettan territory in ways which have made it unrecognisable in just a few decades, and it will soon become either the biggest or second biggest superpower. It's showing no signs of wanting to leave, and every year that passes makes it all the more unlikely. India, as well, will reach a population of a billion and the question of whether it should still keep hosting the Tibettan Government in exile is sure to arise.

The Tibettan identity seems to have been made secure in so many ways, but it seems that the identity cannot come with a homeland. Nobody really knows how long it can last with one and not the other. But with organisations like the House of Peace to help it along, there will be little pieces of Tibet somewhere for a long, long time.


Sunset over Rajpur. I do never tire of ending countries with a sunset photo. I'm sure everyone else did sometime back at Camp Aldersgate. Sorry about that. I won't trouble you with them again!

And so we reach the end of India blog. Words cannot describe it (except for, you know, the words I've been using thus far to describe it) and my mind will take some time to adjust to not being here. One week to go in a land with much staring, few road rules and rather few scruples about public urination. The land of the limeys awaits. I'll see you all on the other side.


Yes, it's the India line-o-map. Kinda wiggly. Kinda small, but I think we hit all the best spots, right?