Settlement FAQs

how many tibetan settlements are there in india

by Miss Ada D'Amore PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Demography. By the late 1960s, there were 30 Tibetan refugee settlements in India. Currently, there are 37 settlements housing about 70,000 Tibetans. There are 22 settlements in north India, 7 in east India and Sikkim, 3 in central India, and 5 in the south.

Full Answer

Where is the largest Tibetan settlement in India?

The largest being in Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh. Bylakuppe is located in the city of Kushalnagar and at a 2 hour drive away from Coorg. Setup in 1960, there are over 70,000 Tibetans here in Bylakuppe.

How many Tibetan refugees live in India?

Historical Background. Today there are 46 Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan, home to most of the 100,451 Tibetan refugees in South Asia (Planning Council 1998 figures).

Why did the Tibetans come to India?

Provide the names and locations of Tibetan settlements in India. Tibetan refugees have settled in India by the tens of thousands since 1959, when the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and many of his followers fled to northern India to escape a Chinese crackdown (Representative 20 Mar 2003).

Where do Tibetans live in India?

Initially, the Tibetans formed haphazard habitations around the Indian border states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, and Himalachal Pradesh; where they found only modest amounts of governmental support, and lived in loosely assembled camps. Many Tibetan refugees died as a result of living in these highly crowded and unsanitary conditions.

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How many Tibetan live in India?

The Central Tibetan Administration's (CTA) Green Book (of the Tibetan Government in Exile) counts 145,150 Tibetans outside Tibet: a little over 100,000 in India; over 16,000 in Nepal; over 1,800 in Bhutan, and over 25,000 in other parts of the world.

Where are the Tibetan settlements in India?

Bylakuppe is the second largest Tibetan settlement in the world outside Tibet after Dharamshala. It is located to the west of Mysore district in the Indian state of Karnataka which is roughly 80 km from Mysore city.

Which is the largest refugee settlement of Tibetan in India?

One of those the Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement (BTS), also known as the “Little Tibet of India.” BTS, located in Bylakuppe in Mysore district in the state of Karnataka, is the largest and oldest Tibetan settlement with the largest Tibetan population outside Tibet.

Are Tibetans allowed in India?

Since then, Tibetans-in-exile have been given asylum in India, with the Indian government accommodating them into 45 residential settlements across 10 states in the country. From around 150,000 Tibetan refugees in 2011, the number fell to 85,000 in 2018, according to government data.

Can Tibetans buy property in India?

Those eligible can get voter identification cards. But Tibetans do not have citizenship rights, which limits their access to government jobs and freedom of movement within and outside India. They cannot own land or property.

Which is the small Tibet of India?

DharamsalaDharamsala is called mini-Tibet of India, because Tibetan refugees are located here. There are two parts, Upper Dharamsala also known as Mcleodganj, and lower Dharamsala.

Why are Tibetan refugees in India?

In an attempt to save themselves and their identity after a failed revolt against the Chinese in 1959, the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans came to NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh) in India. They were immediately granted asylum by the Indian Government and relief operations were kick-started.

Are Tibetans Chinese?

-- Generally calling themselves “Bodpa”, they speak dialects derived from the written Tibetan language. -- Tibetans have been formally classed as one of China's 56 ethnic groups since Chinese troops were sent in 1950.

How many Tibetans were killed by the Chinese?

1.2 million Tibetans1.2 million Tibetans have lost their lives, (over one-sixth of the population) as a result of the Chinese occupation.

Can Tibetans make Indian passport?

The amendment has made a large section of the second and third generations of Tibetan refugees eligible for Indian citizenship. Although there are no formal restrictions imposed by the Tibetan government-in-exile on Tibetan refugees seeking Indian citizenship, it has actively discouraged them from taking this step.

Is Tibet part of Akhand Bharat?

It posits that modern-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet Autonomous Region, Sri Lanka and Myanmar is one nation. UTC+04:30: Afghanistan.

Why is Kailash not in India?

The truth is that Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar were never a part of India. In the past few centuries too, it was never a part of any major Indian empire. Kailash was part of Nepal a long time back and was ruled by a Nepali King.

Why did the Tibetans come to India?

In an attempt to save themselves and their identity after a failed revolt against the Chinese in 1959, the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans came to NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh) in India. They were immediately granted asylum by the Indian Government and relief operations were kick-started.

Why is Ladakh also called Little Tibet?

Due to its cultural and geographical affinities with Tibet (of which it was a province for several centuries), Ladakh was often referred to as 'Little Tibet'.

Which place in Himachal is called Mini Lhasa?

McLeod GanjMcLeod Ganj, also spelt McLeodganj, (pronounced Mc-loud-gunj) is a suburb of Dharamshala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is known as "Little Lhasa" or "Dhasa" (a short form of Dharamshala used mainly by Tibetans) because of its large population of Tibetans.

Where is Dalai Lama now?

Since 1959, the Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamshala, nestled in the Himalayas, and Tibet has remained a sensitive factor in India's relationship with China, with whom it shares a 2,000-mile border. India has control over the Dalai Lama's movements, both within India and abroad.

Why are there so few Tibetans in India?

Very few Tibetans who have reached India in recent years have gone to the several dozen Tibetan settlements in that country. The reason is a shortage of land . The settlements are primarily agricultural, with farmland allotted to individual families, and there is not enough land to accommodate new arrivals.

Where did Tibetan refugees settle?

Response: Tibetan refugees have settled in India by the tens of thousands since 1959, when the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and many of his followers fled to northern India to escape a Chinese crackdown (Representative 20 Mar 2003).

How long is a Tibetan identity certificate valid?

The certificates are valid for one year and renewable. Tibetans must carry the Residential Certificate when travelling within India. For international travel, Tibetan refugees resident in India use an 'Identity Certificate' issued by the Home Ministry valid for two years and renewable. When stamped with a 'no objection to return to India stamp' ...

How long do Tibetans stay in Nepal?

Nepalese authorities want Tibetans who are processed by the UNHCR to be out of the country within two weeks. In practice, most such Tibetans remain in Nepal only until there are enough of them to fill one of the buses that are used to transport them to the Dalai Lama's home-in-exile at Dharamsala, India. This wait can take anywhere from one week to several months. The departing Tibetans receive a group exit permit from the [Nepalese] Department of Immigration that is taken from them when they cross the border with India. This means that most Tibetans enter India without any valid papers (Vice President 19 Mar 2003).

What is the central Tibetan administration?

The Central Tibetan Administration is the network of Tibetan-run agencies in Dharamsala that effectively functions as a government-of-Tibet-in-exile. The number two official in each settlement is a camp leader elected by the refugees (Liaison Officer 19 Mar 2003).

Can Tibetans travel to India?

Tibetans traveling to India via Nepal generally lack valid travel documents, and most are unable to obtain legal residence permits once they reach India. Most enter Nepal from Tibet through isolated mountain passes and lack Nepalese visas or any official travel papers (TIN 15 Feb 2002).

Can a Tibetan get a residence permit in India?

Once in India , newly-arrived Tibetans generally are no longer able to legally obtain residence permits, which were at one time given to Tibetan refugees "as a matter of course," according to a representative of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) (Representative 20 Mar 2003).

When did China invade Tibet?

When China invaded Lhasa in 1959, Dalai Lama along with about 80,000 Tibetans fled Tibet. Some of them came down and settled in the town of Bylakuppe. The Indian Government donated 3000 acres of land for the displaced Tibetans. Since the land was barren, it was called byla koppa (barren open land).

What is the best way to experience Tibet?

Bylakuppe is the best way to experience Tibet through it’s Golden Temple and educational institutions and monasteries being Sera Jey and Tashilhunpo.

How far is Bylakuppe from Bangalore?

Bylakuppe is about 5 hours drive away from Bangalore and 2 hours drive away from Coorg. For more such spiritual experiences in India, check out the article on spiritual tour of India. In case culture is of interest, check out the best tourist places to visit in India. In case you are keen on traveling to Byakuppe, ...

Where did the Tibetan refugees live?

By 1960, it became readily apparent that the Tibetan refugees would be residing in India for an extended period of time, and the construction of permanent facilities to accommodate them became an issue of great pertinence. To address this need, the South Indian state of Karnataka offered up three thousand acres of jungle-land for the construction of a massive refugee camp near Bylakuppe. Thousands of Tibetans were soon sent to this location; where they carved a niche for themselves out of the wild jungle and, essentially, created a “Little Tibet” upon the humid flatlands of Southern India. Now, forty-six years later, the camp is home to 14,000 Tibetans spanning three generations, towering sky-high monasteries, flourishing agricultural fields, and an entire range of well-established public facilities. All of this provides one with the impression that the Tibetans have created a permanent base for themselves in India; but, as any refugee will readily proclaim, their stay is thought of in purely provisional terms. The exiled Tibetans have not yet given up hope that their homeland will be liberated and that, within their lifetimes, they will be able to return. Tibet is on the minds and lips of the entire community, and, although most of the refugees have never laid eyes on their homeland’s mountainous terrain, it still lives on within their hearts.

What were the challenges of the Tibetan exiles?

After the jungles were cleared, the problem of cultivating the land became another great challenge to the Tibetan exiles. In Tibet, most of the refugees were pastoral nomads who, for the most part, knew neither grain nor how to sow it. Therefore, as Mrs. Tsering, put it, “We not only had to learn, but we also had to survive.” This theme seems to have been taken to heart, as the Tibetans slowly learned cultivation methods from the small minority who had previously practiced agriculture in Tibet, as well as from the assistance provided by foreign NGOs. The hardworking Tibetans soon molded their fields into fertile oases, which have become so profitable that laborers from the local Indian community are now regularly employed to cultivate them.

Why were the Tibetan refugees given handouts?

Essentially, the hand-outs that were given to the fleeing Tibetans allowed them to achieve a much higher living standard within a single generation than the Indian population had ever known in millennia of agricultural toil. This seeming unfairness on the part of the Indian government was the impetus behind violent conflicts between the local Indians and Tibetans during the initial stages of the settlement. But I was told by a Tibetan community leader that this strife has since simmered down and that the refugees and Indians now live in harmony: “We go to their celebrations and they come to ours,” he said. But I still harbor doubts as to how harmonious this apparent symbiosis between the well-off foreigners and the impoverished locals could possibly be.

Why did the Indian government do so much altruism?

The official reason for the Indian Government’s excessive altruism was that they wanted to allow the decimated Tibetan population the space and gravity needed to preserve their culture. Many Tibetans in the Bylakuppe camp mimicked the above reasoning, and said that they were very grateful for India’s understanding and assistance. But I also have the impression that there was a driving pressure on the Indian government to administer a degree of control over the unsettled Tibetans, and also to move a potentially militaristic population, with a justified vendetta against the Chinese, as far away from the borderlands as possible. The jungles of Southern India were an appropriate answer to all scenarios.

Why are Tibetans leaving India?

After 60 years in India, why are Tibetans leaving? Tibetans sought refuge in India from the Chinese invasion 60 years ago, but face economic uncertainty and mistreatment. A Tibetan chains himself during a protest held to mark the 60th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, in New Delhi, India, March 10, 2019 [Adnan Abidi/Reuters] ...

What countries are Tibetan refugees going to?

Tibetan authorities say most are going to countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

What is Kunsang Tenzing's mission?

Kunsang Tenzing is documenting the lives of Tibetans in India in what one academic says will ‘enhance the understanding of the ordinary Tibetan’ [Courtesy: Kunsang Tenzing] “It is very difficult to make money here. There are barely any jobs here,” Tenzing says. Tibetans are not officially recognised as refugees in India.

How old is Kunsang Tenzing?

Mumbai, India – For many years, 34-year-old Kunsang Tenzing has been thinking about leaving India. His family did years ago. Most of his closest friends have also moved. Over the last seven years, the Tibetan refugee community in India has dropped by 44 percent, from around 150,000 in 2011 to 85,000, according to Indian government data.

What is SoT in Tibet?

Tenzing is trying to capture the stories of people like him – refugees from Tibet escaping Chinese occupation, seeking a new life in India while trying to not lose hope. “Stories of Tibetans” (SoT), a recent social media initiative, has managed to reach about 16,000 followers across several platforms.

Where did Yangzom Tsering come from?

Yangzom Tsering, 29, was smuggled to India from Tibet by her relatives soon after her birth. Both her parents passed away soon after. Tsering has always yearned to go back to Tibet to see her siblings who still live there. “My brother kept telling me that I should come back home.

What are the economic concerns of Tibetans?

Economic concerns are central; many Tibetans say that buying property and accessing bank credit are difficult, leaving them with few options.

How many Tibetans were in India in 2009?

According to a US cable put out by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, from 1980 to November 2009, 87,096 Tibetans arrived in India and registered at the Dharamsala reception center, whereas 46,620 returned to Tibet after a pilgrimage in India. Most of those staying are children to attend Tibetan Children's Villages school.

How many Tibetans followed the Dalai Lama to India?

During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the 14th Dalai Lama and some of his government fled to India. From 1959 to 1960, about 80,000 Tibetans followed the Dalai Lama to India through the Himalayas. Continued flights, estimated in the numbers of 1,000 to 2,500 a year, increased these numbers to 100,000.

Why did Tibetans settle in Bhutan?

Few Tibetans settled in Bhutan after 1959, as the country was used mainly as a transit route to India. However, in 1961, following growing tensions between China and India, India sealed its northern border with Bhutan, prompting Bhutan to arrange an emergency meeting with the Government of India (GOI) and the CTA to deal with the Tibetans stuck in the country. The government of Bhutan agreed to take in 4000 settlers, although ordinary Bhutanese became increasingly resentful of the Tibetan immigrants because of their refusal to assimilate into Bhutanese culture. In 1974, 28 Tibetans, including the representative of the 14th Dalai Lama in Thimphu, were arrested and accused of a conspiracy to assassinate King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. When the CTA refused to provide evidence of their innocence, relations between Bhutan and Dharamshala soured, and in 1979, the Government of Bhutan announced that any Tibetan in the country that did not take Bhutanese citizenship would be repatriated back to China. Despite the CTA's opposition, 2300 Tibetans applied for the Bhutanese citizenship; most of the remainder re-settled in India.

What is the Tibetan diaspora?

Tibetan diaspora. The Tibetan diaspora are the diaspora of Tibetan people living outside China . Tibetan emigration has three separate stages. The first stage was in 1959 following the 14th Dalai Lama 's escape to Dharamshala in India, in fear of persecution from the People's Liberation Army. The second stage occurred in ...

How many Tibetans arrive in Dharamshala every year?

A 2008 documentary directed by Richard Martini claimed that 3,000–4,500 Tibetans arrive at Dharamshala every year. Most new immigrants are children who are sent to Tibetan cultural schools. Many political activists, including monks, have also crossed over through Nepal to India.

Why did the Tibetans exodus?

After the opening of Tibet in the 1980s to trade and tourism, a second wave of Tibetan exodus took place due to increasing political repression. From 1986 to 1996, 25,000 Tibetans joined and increased by 18% their exiled community in India.

What is the prejudicial attitude towards third wave Tibetan immigrants from 1959 immigrants?

Prejudicial attitude against third-wave Tibetan immigrants from 1959 immigrants exists in Tibetan diaspora world. Newcomers (post- 1990s arrivals) are referred to as 'Sanjor' by the settled Tibetans, and face social discrimination in Tibetan settlements. The social relationship is tense, and inter-marriages are rare.

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Tibetan Settlements: Participation & Integration by Dawa Norbu*

Historical Background

  • Today there are 46 Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan, home to most of the 100,451 Tibetan refugees in South Asia (Planning Council 1998 figures). It has been said that the Tibetan leadership, anxious that the Tibetan refugees should retain their culture and identity, did not want then to be scattered all over the subcontinent, but want...
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The Impact of Refugees on The Host Population

  • Tibetan refugee settlements in India were deliberately designed in such a way as to recreate Tibetan society with its core values intact. Such a re-creation of pockets of Tibetan culture and society in India was not only the popular desire and determination of refugees from Tibet; it was to a large extent, endorsed and even encouraged by the Government of India as a matter of polic…
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Economic Integration

  • The Tibetan refugee settlements in India were build in the 1960s and early 1979s with a specific purpose in mind. They were designed as self-contained cultural units sustained by self-sufficient agro and handicraft economies for a limited rather then an unlimited period of time. This plan proved to be more than sufficient for the first generation of refugees. In fact they, during their lif…
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