“Many from our settlement don't receive the opportunities that I did," says Sonam Chouksey, a final year student of Dayananda Sagar University in Bengaluru, as she and her friend, Tenzin Choezom, were awarded the top ranks at the institution. Like Sonam and Tenzin, many students from the Tibetan settlements in Karnataka have been topping the university for the last two years.
Apart from the reservation in seats, Tibetan students also receive scholarships granted by the university in honour of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Sonam Chouksey and Tenzin Choezom secured the top ranks in Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) respectively. However, Sonam says that many students still struggle to find their footing.
"Fortunately, I did not struggle as much as my parents and grandparents have, since I have lived in hostels among people from different backgrounds. My grandparents came to India in 1956 and my parents were born here, in Karnataka. I did not struggle much but we live in a different settlement from others. Many from our settlement don't receive the opportunities that I did," says Sonam, who resides in Chowkur settlement in Karnataka's Periyapatna.
Chowkur is one of the many Tibetan settlements in Karnataka which were established in the early 1960s, following the 1959 Tibetan Uprising. Many Tibetans took refuge in India and have been living here in forced exile since then.
Sonam, like other Tibetan students in India, wanted to prove her mettle and show that she, too, could achieve anything she wanted to. Yet, she says that despite such academic achievements, they have been facing discrimination. Although the Indian government allowed Tibetans in the country to apply for an Indian passport, many still continue to possess the Registration Certificate (RC) that assigns them the “refugee status”.
Choosing the Indian passport is a double-edged sword as the students will then have to give up the benefits they receive under the Central Tibetan Administration. They also do not wish to lose their Tibetan identity.
“Interning with a company was mandatory for us and many of our friends got internships abroad. Some of us, who hold RC for Tibetans, struggled to secure internships abroad. That is why I am grateful for this opportunity that many people from Chowkur don’t really get,” says the student, who aspires to complete her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance at a university abroad. However, she still has her concerns. “I will again have to face hurdles while applying to universities abroad, but I hope I can overcome the difficulties,” she says.
According to University Dean Punith Cariappa, the Tibetan students have been topping and achieving excellence because they have struggled in real life and value every opportunity.
"These students are in touch with their reality. They know the value of struggle and that motivates them to be better. These students also know that they have to struggle harder than the average Indian student to find better job opportunities,” he says.