Tibet was brutally occupied by China from 1949 to 1959. Since 1959, Tibetans fled to seek political asylum in India. This emigration occurred in two major waves; first, from 1959 following H.H the 14th Dalai Lama and second in 1980s, when Tibet was opened to trade and tourism by China. The third waves continued from 1996 till today.

The majority of Tibetan settled at Ladakh came during60's because of its proximity to Ngari, U-tsang provinces of Tibet. However, there was a continuous flight to Ladakh till 1970s. The first generation of Tibetan refugees undoubtedly had a very harsh livelihood. They lived in grim conditions in torn tents, patched with jute bags for many years.  Although there was relief relieve from host country and from foreign countries, the aid wasn't enough to make the ends meet. Ladakh is a sensitive border area, thus, there were many Army encampment and bunkers at the region for border patrol. Also because of 1962 Indo-China war, infrastructure developments of Indian army at the region was at its height. They are in need of extensive labour. Hence, Tibetans worked as Army coolie, as for them it was the only means of livelihood then.

Post-1970's,  Sonamling settlement came into being. The rehabilitation of Tibetan: land allocation, division of camps and land cultivation began. Abi Canal, which flows from Shey toAgling, was constructed solely of the irrigation purpose for Tibetan Refugee Settlements. Once arid and abandoned region of Ladakh was then turned into cultivable land. Agriculture life began,  many people set up small restaurants and petty business, simultaneously people started to build and live in the mud-brick house. The establishment of Middle School for Tibetan Refugees in 1970s and later, Tibetan Children Village (TCV), Ladakh in 1975, gave a boost to the lives of Tibetan refugees. TCV Ladakh has produced numbers of Tibetan and Ladakhis social servants, for instance: Doctors, Scientists, Engineers, lecturer, teachers, banker etc to name a few. Every year more than 100 student graduates from  TCV Ladakh. In fact, 95% of the staff at the school were once its students. Tibetan refugees flourished in Ladakh and all over India; it became one of the most successful refugees in the world by the grace of H.H. The Dalai Lama. The third generation of Tibetan refugee is running at present.  

Dhondup Tashi, 44, a competent, frank and certainly an elegant man, is the 18th Chief Representative Officer (CRO). He holds the degrees of Bachelors in Education, Master in Economics and Diploma in Journalism. He was first elected in 21 Jan, 2010, this is his second consecutive year in the office. He was the youngest and first elected CRO of the Tibetan Refugee Settlement (TRS), Sonamling. Let's hear from him about the Sonamling settlement.

Q. How Sonamling Settlement, came into being?

During 1959, when Tibet was on the verge of losing independence under unruly Chinese's occupation,  many Tibetans fled to seek asylum in India. Out of which, many fled form Changthang region, the area of Ladakh where Indo-Tibet border located, since, Ngari, Utsang share borders with Ladakh. Thus, a majority of Tibetan refugees settled at Ladakh migrate from the same, but we do have people from far-flung, Amdo and Kham provinces. I was also informed that, since Tibetans and Ladakhis share similar topography, religion, cultureand habits, many dignitaries then thought settling at Ladakh would be practicable. From the information I gathered from elder generation says; a majority of Tibetans at Ladakh first lived in clustered camp at the area between Spituk to Agling, but due to some reason related health, the camp was later relocated to Shey-Menlha region.

The first Gonzin or leader of Tibetan Refugee Settlement, Ladakh, was late Zamar Pon Chime. (1960-1970)  A competent, ingenious and honorable man he was, was appointed as Gonzin directly by the then Tibetan Government in exile's Home Department to look after the welfare of the fellow refugees in Ladakh. Earlier at Tibet, before Tibet lost its independence, he was the head (Pon) of Zamar region, one of the largest inhabited regions of Tibet, which comprise of 500+200 families. His efforts in putting together the Tibetan immigrants in Ladakh within a camp, at such critical juncture was immeasurable. It was an unusually difficult task for him to lead, especially when lives of thousands of people had to start from scratch; people had mental traumas from the death of beloved one; inadaptability to a new environment; language barrier; most of our great-grandparents were also uneducated. Furthermore, Tibetan refugees initially lived in tents. There were no concrete residential and offices buildings as such. Nevertheless, he leads and was in tenure for about 10 years. Under his leadership along the team of Gowa, group leaders have connected well with the local Ladakhis and certainly with the assistance of exiled Tibetan Government, take up the rehabilitation project of Tibetans at Ladakh. Also, there were subsidies from Government of India and other foreign donors in the form of used cloth, medicals, and rations. State government too has also taken kind consideration of  Tibetan refugees. Subsequently, people started to live in a concrete mud-brick house. When His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama visited Ladakh in 1974, he named the Tibetan camp in Ladakh as Sonamling Settlement.

Q. What's the present population of Tibetans in Ladakh. How many groups were they divided into? From both division, Leh and Changthang? How many other Tibetans from outside Ladakh resides here?

As per April 2014 population survey done by Gowas of respective camps, we have 7300 Tibetan refugees residing at Ladakh, of which 5000 lives in Sonamling Leh within 12 different camps and 2300 people live in 8 scattered nomadic camps at Sonamling, Changthang. Altogether there are 20 Camps. However not all the population lives permanently at Ladakh; around 2000 students, monks, and government staffs lived outside Ladakh but is registered and has family here.

There are around 200 Tibetans from outside Ladakh who resides here. They not registered with Sonamling settlement, they come here during the season for petty business and some come of educational purpose but they return back.

Earlier, CRO is nominated directly by CTA, Dept of Home. Since, complete democratization of  CTA and devolution of political powers by HHDL, the CRO is now elected in all the Tibetan refugee settlement. As the matter of fact, you are first elected CRO in the history of Sonamling settlement. Tell us about the transition.

It is the wish of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the guidelines of the Tibetan Charter, that the concern settlement officer, (here we call it CRO) will be better if elected.  In reference to Sonamling settlement, the election of  CRO was in chart way back. The referendum was made amongst the people. Initially, people weren't ready to vote; they prefer Deputed CRO. During the 2009 referendum, many people came forward with the view that CRO must be elected. Election process then began. I held the position on 21 Jan 2010. All 17 CRO preceding me was all deputed CRO.

Q. You are the first and youngest CRO of Sonamling Settlement! You had a landslide victory. What/How do you feel about it?

The career by choice, I was a teacher for past 14 years. But career by chance, I was elected CRO. There are hundreds of other capable candidates if sit for election. When people elected me, initially, I felt I was the wrong person for such honorable and responsible post. Besides, I have no administrative experiences. However, morally I feel wrong to completely deny the post. Whatever I have become today is by the grace of the Dalai Lama, the support got for Govt of India and foreigners who sponsors our educations. I don’t want to be evasive of the responsibility now, I want to give it a shot. I had to sacrifice a certain opportunity, I did.

Q. Have you always has this enthusiasm to lead, be in a superior position and be responsible?

No. I love teaching. Had I had such enthusiasm, I would have become director or principle (he laughed). I was not interested in such administrative field. But when people elected me without me promoting myself, they saw qualities in me; the put their trust in me. I guess it's also may be because my students at SOS TCV Ladakh must have influenced their parents to elect me. I was a much-loved teacher. Students appreciate my teaching methods and my frankness. Irrespective of reasons, I won by a complete majority; which shows faith people had in/for me.

Q. Do you think the name of the designation you hold; 'Chief Representative Officer' is now appropriate for the post, after the HHDL has resolved the political power to the first elected Sikyong (equivalent to PM) of CTA, Lobsang Sangye on August 8, 2011? Don’t you think the title 'Settlement Officer' is more suitable now?

As far as I am aware, until the tenure of Namgyal Dorjee (1979-82), the 6th settlement officer, preceding head of the settlement were not called CRO, they were called 'Settlement Officer'. They handle only one settlement, Sonamling Leh. Changthang settlements have different 'Settlement Officer'. At present, the CRO has to take care of 10 different settlements; 9 in Changthang and 1 in Leh, thus the position is named as CRO.

The Tibetan Settlements, elsewhere in India where the population is between 1000-2000, the head of the settlement is called Settlement Officer. Since Ladakh constitute a various settlement, and the head of all 10 settlement is called the Chief Representative Officer.

CRO doesn’t mean representative of the Dalai Lama, it means representative of the CTA, which the unit of HHDL. The title is still much fitting.

Q. Out of 44 settlements in India and 20 more outside India in Nepal and Bhutan, Sonamling Settlement is one of the 'agriculture-based' settlement. What other kinds of crops grow apart from Alfalfa, the fodder for livestock?

True. Only Alfalfa is grown. During the inception of the settlement, it was a target that since Ladakh has vast land, cultivation of crops in the distributed area was planned. 'Agriculture' was supposed to a source of sustainable livelihood. Indeed, many crops have been grown but in vain due to a scarcity of water, only Alfalfa blossomed. There were projects like Green House project but all failed; owing to the geography of Ladakh. Agriculturally Sonamling is not productive. At present farming is not a sustainable source of income.

Q. Then, what are the source of livelihood of Tibetans in Ladakh?

No. of the antique seller and other petty business are growing. Agriculture is definitely not a stable source of income Source of revenue of Sonamling people was expected to be agriculture. But nothing came out of it. Economically, land cultivation has done nothing tangible. Several no.of people work as a coolie, part of people are engaged in a petty business like selling antique goods, own beauty parlors, a set of people runs taxis, some families run shops and restaurants. A part of Tibetans are engaged white-collar Job; teachers, officers,  CTA's staffs, civil servant, staffs at schools and offices, nurses and so on. There are many other unemployed people as well.

Q. Any special schemes for unemployed people, drop-out youth in particular.? No of graduate and postgraduate students coming up. Any job scope for them? What do you do to keep the resources within the settlement?

This has always been the biggest challenges in all the settlements. Particularly in Sonamling settlement, since it is one of the biggest settlement with most no. of the populace and of course most no. of unemployed educated exist. Candidly, I don’t see any solution to this. Job vacancy within the community is limited. So, we approach the Departments of CTA, I do not get the concrete answers.

Q. What is the literacy rate?

I would say, amongst the younger generation the literacy rate is 99%. But the population in general, it's 60-70% since a lot of elder generation of Tibetan refugee never had the chance to go to school.

Q. Tell us about educational set up of Sonamling.

Tibetan Children Village (TCV), Choglamsar is the headquarter and has six branches. 3 branches in the Changthang region and 3 at Leh region.

Q. What about the health facilities for the general public?

At the school, student is taken care of entirely by the school hospitals. For the general public, we have Primary Health Care (PHC) Centre, taken care of under the Department of Health, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). There are three branches to the PHC, at Menlha, Choglam and Agling respectively. The preventive measures like that of vaccination are the concern of PHC.

Aged people without children and families with an extremely poor economy, differently able people with lots of medical expenses, comes under 'destitute category'. For them, CTA bears all the medical expenses. There is the Tibetan Medical Astro Institute, Mentsekhang with its buildings at Leh and Choglamsar. They also cater to the medical need of Tibetans and non- Tibetans as well.

Q. Any particular activities or schemes to curb youth from getting into illicit drugs and alcohols?

We have only a few youths, in plain sight, who is habited to illicit drugs and alcohol. There may be unobvious people who are into illegal drugs and alcohols. The numbers must be small, but it's definitely not a negligible issue. Till date, we had arranged 12 different talks by experts, councillors, lamas for the general public about the abuses of drugs. But now by the blessings of the Dalai Lama Trust, we have the first Sonamling Community Hall at Choglamsar. We have a plan to arrange more talks for public awareness in the hall, at least once a month.

Q. What are the special schemes for aged?

There are more than thousand aged people in Sonamling. However, I can proudly say that most of them are taken well care of by their offspring and relatives. Which the greatest positive point of Sonamling settlement. The few aged people who do not have children and those who require attention are taken care of at Old People's Home, which is taken care by TCV under the blessing of Ama Jetsun Pema, the only living sister of the Dalai Lama. There are two Old People's Home, one at Leh and other at Changthang, Nyoma.

Q. What sort of public complains you have to entertain?

Major complains were; Unemployment issues, land issue, domestic violence cases.

Q. How much of area does Sonamling settlement holds in Ladakh?

As per the mapping and government ordered area is a concern, at present, there is no clear record at the office, especially the residential area, so I can't provide details of area. The land map of agriculture is very much there. But both together, I do not have exact stats. We have requested the Dept. of home, CTA for the copy of a map and we are yet to obtain it.

The Tehsil office, a district administration block,  has given clear instruction to the CRO office that if there is dispute related to the land holdings, CRO shall forward the case to the Tehsil office directly and CRO has no authority whatsoever to decide on the case. I had to follow the command and referred many land dispute case to them. Tehsil office manages the rest. In the Charter of the Tibetans In-Exile and of course, the Dept of Home, CTA has given considerable importance to the 'cooperative initiatives' to have a self-reliant and self-sustaining livelihood.

Q. Tell us about the cooperative society of Sonamling. What happened to handloom and Carpet weaving cottage industry? And how much profit does  Cooperative Shops of different camps generates or do they cater to need of the Tibetans?

Sonamling settlement does not have any major economic generating cooperative society as such. Sonamling Settlement's Cooperative Shops does look after the welfare of its own people by providing necessary rations and stocks at a cheaper rate. They also keep the stocks for the off seasons as Ladakh remains cut off from the world for half the year. Thus, they distribute it to Changthang and Leh region during such a hard time of the year and collects money much later, which helps people. But of course, the shops could satisfy the need of the people only to some extent. There are 8 cooperative shops; 3 in Leh and 5 in Changthang.

I was told that the Sonamling Settlement Cooperative Society's handloom and small-scale Carpet weaving industry and had to shut down since it was running in loss.

There is a Cooperative showroom at Choglamsar, part of the products were made and purchased from people of Changthang and the remaining products are brought from outside. They generate small profit which can make out the wages of Cooperative Sector's officers. In addition, we have a cooperative Truck and a T-port, they were hired on a rental basis.

Q. How do you  manage 8 scattered settlements of far-flung Changthang region? We know for the fact that, you are the only CRO who made the most no. of a visit to Changthang regions till date.

I did. I went there frequently because the population there has to take care of their livestock. They would not be able to live their livestock on its own, to come to Leh to ventilate their grievances to CRO office. Thus I went there often so that there is no interruption in their nomadic livelihood. In a year I spent 80-100days in Changthang area, that how it's easier for them and I get updated on conditions of  Changthang.

Q. Sonamling, Changthang region, is the only settlement amongst the 44 Tibetan refugee settlements in India, whose nomadic lifestyle remains almost similar to the period before Tibet lost its independence. Does CTA, Dept of Home encourage such lifestyle? Do they have special schemes to promote such a traditional lifestyle? Any special schemes for people of Changthang?

Changthang is given special consideration by CTA and the Dalai Lama himself.

1) Keeping in view the importance of education to Changthang's children, the efforts of the Dalai Lama, Ama Jetsun Pema, and the TCV has led to the establishment of 3 boarding schools. Kindergarten to Middle school. Kids don’t have to come to Leh.
2) Since their livelihood depends on their livestock, the CTA has provided aid to build animals shelters, to protect the animals from harsh weather. They intended to increase the number of lamp sheds.
3) In such harsh weather, grazing land hardly has any greeneries. Thus, CTA already provided INR 50 lakh interest-free loan for nomads if they needed to buy additional animal fodders. CTA aims to increase the amount.
4) CTA is in the effort to facilitate tents for nomads.
5) Electricity is the main issue, Solar-Lamps were provided.

Q. How does your office runs or What is the source of funds?

The office of CRO runs completely on the budget provided by CTA, Home Dept. We have no other sources of funds. We are not allowed to collect donations; it's strictly prohibited. We don't accept donations.

Q. Any aid form State Government?

Not directly, however, the APL rations were provided for a low amount.

Q. Any aid from LAHDC, Leh; district administration?

Yes, indirectly. Three years back, hill council has helped in reconstruction on half of Abi Canal, which has been immensely helpful for the irrigation purpose.

Q. How is our relationship with the host district, Ladakh?

Officially, we have a cordial and sound relation. LAHDC Leh, LBA, Army, politicians, and other administrative offices of Leh has always been supportive of the refugees. They did whatever best they could do within their jurisdiction. They always extend their helping hand. Tibetan will always remain thankful to their support.

Q. What are your achievements during your tenure as CRO?

I always feel I am a blessed man. The works I have done during my tenure was not just my accomplishment. I have a good team to work with. Also, by the blessing of the Dalai Lama and the good guidelines of CTA, Home Dept. Things have run smoothly until today. Without such team and support, I alone wouldn’t have achieved anything.

Since my tenure, we now have a proper system in any kinds of meetings. Nowadays, we hit what we aim for; we don’t beat around the bush at the meetings. We don’t digress from the topic to waste time.  We have improved our relations with local ladakhis and its leaders. I also make frequent visit to Changthang. The Dalai Lama especially asked me to take care of people of Changthang. We were successful in completion of the first Community Hall funded by the Dalai Lama trust. Home Department and people of Sonamling also has a huge hand in the completion of the hall.

Message to the readers

"Since this newspaper is one of the best platforms to reach people of Ladakh; I want to appreciate the help extended to us refugees by the local Ladakhis, District Administration, State government and the Central Government at large. I sincerely thank all for the support."