KOCHI: “Ente kadayaanu cheta kerikko’ (Please enter brother, this is my shop), said a man wearing a shirt and mundu at Fashion Street near MG road. But, there was something different about him. Pampa, who owns around five shops in the street and speaks Malayalam like a native, is a Tibetan refugee. He has been living in Kochi for the past 20 years. Pampa, who has settled down in Kochi with his wife and two children, considers the city his home and Malayalees his kin. “I came to Kochi for higher studies and settled down here. I sell shoes, sandals and dress materials (jeans and t-shirts) of high quality at a cheap rate,” he said. Today there are only three or four Tibetan families living in Kochi. “All of them run shops similar to the ones I own,” he said.
A large number of Tibetan refugees used to live in the city. “More than 30 families used to live here, but nearly all of them have immigrated to the US, Canada and other countries. Only a few individual sellers remain. But they are all scattered,” he said. “Many of them are staying near Varkala,” he added.
As to why the families moved away from the city, Pampa said, “The reasons may be many.” Recalling the days when the community was strong in numbers, he said, “We used to have get-togethers. Not only the sellers but also Tibetan students joined these parties.”
But even the number of youngsters coming here to pursue higher education is steadily going down. Those who remain here eke out a living by selling clothes and other accessories. “They are stuck. They can’t go back to Tibet because it is impossible to get a visa.” We never went back to our homeland, said Mario, who runs a sandal shop. “I have been here for many years and am leading a happy, satisfied life. The steady stream of customers form the foundation of our existence,” he added. According to him, the reasonable price of the good quality products that they sell brings a large number of customers to their shops.
A dip in the sales does not bother them since they have a loyal clientele. The customers don’t just come to Pampa’s shop to buy stuff, they sit and chat with him in fluent Malayalam. “Students are my frequent visitors. Most of the customers come here on a regular basis. The low price and quality of the product, which are either imported or brought in from other Indian states are the major reason why my customers come back again and again,” he said.
If you think the lives of these Tibetan refugees are confined to their shops, you will be very wrong in your assumption. Many of them have acted in movies. Pampa has done some small roles in various Malayalam movies. “In Masala Republic I acted as a goon,” he said. Not just the menfolk, Tibetan women too contribute to the income of their family. Many of them have set up shops while other can be found working as saleswomen or helping out at their husbands’ shops. Yangchein, Pampa’s wife, used to work as a saleswoman and later on as a teacher at a private school.
These people find living in the city a hassle-free one due to the help they received from the Kochi Corporation and local bodies. According to Pampa, the strong unions in Kerala have been a lifeline for them. Friends of Tibet, a state-wide group working for the welfare of Tibetans in Kerala, has been in the forefront in taking care of them. They have assimilated into the Kerala society. Their kids are studying at the schools in the city and many of them are learning Malayalam as a part of their school curriculum.