A leader comes to his new home

The Dalai Lama makes his way to the Indian border near Tawang, escaping from Chinese forces, today in 1959. This marks the start of the long exile of the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Dalai Lama with his escorts; Source: Public Domain

The decision was tough to make - but it had to be done, to secure their country’s survival and its leadership from falling into Chinese hands. The situation had got from bad to worse for the Tibetans over time - the People’s Liberation Army had been swarming into its borders following the 1959 uprising, and they seemed to be intent to take over fully this time around. Thus, the decision was made, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual and political leader, would flee to India, which had offered him asylum anyway.

The decision was made on the 17th of March, and during 2 weeks of perilous travel, accompanied by some cabinet ministers, soldiers, and family, he would begin his long journey to asylum. They travelled exclusively by night, and crossed the entire Himalayan region, at one point also trying to cross the Brahmaputra which was 500 yards wide.

Chinese planes scoured from the skies, looking for the elusive leader, but all they found was mist and clouds. Curfews were imposed in cities and towns, and numerous skirmishes broke out between Tibetan and Chinese forces.

As the Lama’s party and Chinese forces increasingly drew to a clash near the Indian border, the government went forward and sent PN Menon, its consul from Lhasa, and the Assistant Political Officer of the region to Chuthangmu, a small Assam Rifles outpost near Tawang. The Tibetan party was greeted by the Indian (and some say some Americans, since the CIA coordinated with Indian intelligence agencies in that time) entourage, carrying a letter from Prime Minister Nehru.

This happened on the 30th-31st of March 1959. Dalai Lama would soon be taken to Tawang and then to meet Nehru, thus beginning his still-continued exile from his homeland, now under Chinese dominion. The struggle for Tibetan independence still rages on today, and it would have been difficult without its primary figure.