DHARAMSHALA: When His Holiness the Dalai Lama came to India in 1960, he learned about around 51 young children struggling to survive among the large group of refugees who fled from Tibet. With the objective of accommodating these children, the idea of setting up the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, was born. The school was subsequently managed by HH Dalai Lama’s sisters.
“TCV is the largest educational infrastructure in exile, focusing on preserving the ethos of Tibet while providing holistic education. It’s a boarding school that currently caters to over 1,000 students aged 3 to 18, with classes up to the 12th standard in Dharamshala alone.
If we include the other seven schools, there are over 5,500 students,” stated Sonam Sichoe, the President of TCV, in an interview with this newspaper. Sonam arrived in India at the age of 10 in 1970 and studied at TCV. Over 52,000 children have studied at TCV since 1960, which now includes a total of 7 other schools spread across different parts of India, bringing the total to 8 schools.
The education of one child incurs a monthly expenditure of around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 ($80), but many sponsors have taken charge of these expenses. Nearly Rs 50 crore comes in as aid from across the world, with US AID being one of the largest contributors to this program.
“We now have eight schools in various locations in India. Our school’s alumni also contribute, and we have exchange programs for Tibetan children studying in other countries. The Indian government organizes programs here, and our school is affiliated with CBSE,” said Lobsang Tsomo, General Secretary (External Relations), in an interview with this newspaper.
Tibetans wish to preserve their culture and ethos, and India is one country where they can do so through their education system and monasteries.
“The Chinese are trying to forcibly send Tibetan children in Tibet to Chinese boarding schools, with the intention of erasing their culture. We, on the other hand, are doing everything possible to retain it,” added Sonam.
TCV states that it represents the 6 million Tibetans in Tibet and will continue to instil Buddhist values so that the children who study here become good citizens of the world. In the words of HH Dalai Lama, “Be kind whenever possible, it is always possible.”
Buddhist values
Tibetan Children’s Village states that it represents the 6 million Tibetans in Tibet and will continue to instil Buddhist values so that the children who study here become good citizens of the world. The education of one child incurs a monthly expenditure of around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 ($80), but many sponsors have taken charge of these expenses. Nearly `50 crore comes in as aid from across the world, with US AID being one of the largest contributors to this program.