In the 1950s, a large part of Tibet had been forcefully acquired by the Chinese. The Dalai Lama escaped to India in 1959 after a Tibetan uprising against the Chinese rule failed.
He also established a democratically based shadow Tibetan government in Dharamshala. However, the question of Dalai Lama’s succession bothers thousands of Tibetans who have made their home in McLeodganj, nicknamed ‘little Lhasa’.
The larger question of the direction that the Tibetan movement will take also depends on the successor of the Dalai Lama.
Another growing worry in Dharamshala is preserving the Tibetan language and culture.
The Hindu travelled to Dharamshala, the abode of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and spoke to Penpa Tsering, Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration in India.
Reporting: Suhasini Haidar
Videos: Suhasini Haidar and Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Production: Gayatri Menon
Voiceover: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian
