Description
India's non-signatory status to the Refugee Convention results in an ad hoc policy shaped by political considerations. The 1959 exodus, following the Dalai Lama's flight, established a precedent of welcome. However, subsequent policies have been nuanced, reflecting India's delicate balancing act. On one hand, India has provided support and autonomy to the Tibetan community, allowing for the preservation of their culture and functioning of their government-in-exile, reflecting humanitarian concern. Yet, the strategic assertion of democratic values amidst the contested border with China, coupled with Beijing's sensitivity regarding the Tibetan issue, necessitates caution. Since 1959, Tibetan refugees have lived in exile, carrying with them memories of displacement and the burden of preserving a culture increasingly under threat within Tibet itself. Central to their endurance has been Buddhism—a spiritual anchor, a source of identity, and a means of strategic engagement with the world. In the face of statelessness, marginalization, and complex host-country dynamics, Buddhism has emerged as a powerful medium through which refugees maintain belonging, cultivate resilience, and assert political visibility. This research investigates how Buddhism has become a living strategy for survival, identity preservation, and political mobilization among Tibetan refugee communities in India. Amid an aging Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama dispute, Tibetan Buddhism emerges as a contested arena of geopolitical influence and cultural resistance. Within the shifting landscape marked by China's ambitions, India's hosting responsibilities, and U.S. advocacy interests, the Tibetan diaspora inhabits a uniquely precarious and politicized space. As refugees navigating both the trauma of exile and global indifference, Tibetans have transformed religion into a language through which they negotiate legitimacy, both at home and abroad.
