Katie Revell\’s India Blog

Having just lost to the darkness of cyberspace the screeds of classic writing I’ve just typed out, forgive me if this entry is a little rubbish.

 So. After months of “I can’t wait to get up North” and “I can’t wait ’til we get to the mountains”, here we are, in the mountains up North. To be precise, we’re in McLeod Ganj, in Himachal Pradesh. Places like this always feel rather surreal to me, like themeparks set up purely for the benefit of tourists. Everybody who lives here is employed in offering a service to visitors, or supplying those who do. Every shop either sells “Tibetan” souvenirs or an assortment of foodstuffs designed to appeal to the craving Westerner (baked beans, muesli, “German” baking, HobNobs). In between these shops are slightly suspect-looking places advertising Tibetan Massagees or (Tibetan?) Sonooker for only Rs60 an hour. It’s ceased to be a place which tourists go to, and has become a bunch of tourists in a place.

That said, you can see why they (Ok, ok, “we”) came here in the first place. The surroundings are pretty stunning. We’re not quite in snow-capped-jaggy-peak terrain yet, but the wood-clad hills are a refreshing change having been in the plains and cities. Throw in some gently fluttering prayer flags and it’s a picturesque scene, despite the hoards of dreadlocked Germans/British backpackers/middle-aged-hippies (if anyone’s read Atomised, you should know the kind what I mean).

Apart from being another branch of Touristland TM, McLeod Ganj (named, by the way, after the some British army bloke) does have added interest in that it’s the home of none other than His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile. There’s a huge Tibetan community and, accordingly, a lot of pro-freedom stuff around.

It’s interesting to see what the exile community has made of itself. I wouldn’t have a Lefty leg to stand on if I didn’t agree that the Chinese occupation is unequivocally wrong and should be vehemently opposed. But I can’t help wondering - the principal of self-determination and freedom of religion aside, because I don’t question that - how many would jump at the chance to return. Most of the Tibetans here appear very comfortable: they wear designer trainers and Levis; they drive flash motorbikes. There’s a lot of wealth and an apparently high level of education. Obviously the same cannot be said for those left in Tibet itself, but it is good to get a more rounded perspective on the situation.

I’ve just listened to a conversation between two English girls on computers next to me. It went like this: “Was it the Chinese or the Indians the Tibetans were fighting against?” “The Chinese, I think, ‘cos they’ve all fled to India so I guess the Indians are alright.”

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