Decades of dwindling: Drop in Tibetan arrivals raise concern

Only eight people—four youths and four elderly—have arrived in India from Tibet during the current financial year compared to 42 arrivals witnessed last year, as per details shared by Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) officials.

- Dar Ovais

DHARAMSHALA:

The current trickle of Tibetan arrivals is in stark contrast to the 1990s and early 2000s when thousands would arrive annually from Tibet.

Due to decline in the number of arrivals, the Tibetan Reception Centre at Khanyara in Dharamshala has significantly reduced activity in recent years. It was built as a transit point for thousands of Tibetans who annually made the clandestine journey from Tibet into Nepal and then to Dharamshala—home to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, since his escape from Tibet.

While young Tibetans typically come to pursue education, elderly arrivals usually stay in Dharamshala.

According to Central Tibetan Administration officials, in 2020, only five Tibetans arrived in Dharamshala while ten had arrived in 2021.