Construction and Negotiation of Identities among the Tibetan Refugees in India

Abstract

Tibetans fled Tibet after the Chinese occupation of the country in the year 1959. Tibetans have been living in exile for more than six decades and a large number of Tibetans have been born in host country India. Refugee hood of the Tibetans in India is a complex issue. Nonetheless, Tibetans born in India, are allowed to seek citizenship as per the enactment of the Indian Citizenship Act (Amendment) of 1986, which allows for acquiring of Indian citizenship by anyone born in India between January 26, 1950, and July 1, 1987. This has made a large section of the second and third generation Tibetans eligible for Indian citizenship. The young Tibetans are showing great interest in taking up Indian citizenship for many practical reasons; they want to have a secure livelihood and social existence and get rid of the confusions and dilemma among them over their sense of belongingness. No group of people can live with confusions about their identity or belongingness. This paper, therefore, has made an attempt to understand the Tibetans’ sense of belongingness by recording their personal narratives of their experiences in their everyday life. The paper locates the Tibetans living in India in terms of construction and negotiation of their identity vis-àvis Indian citizens in their everyday life.