Tibetan Refugees in India - Struggle To Survive

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The edited volume diligently travels down the lanes of history of refugee life, their plight, educational gauntlets and cultural survival in India. No one can take a U-turn from the fact that India is not the second home of Tibetans living in exile. The sociology of Tibetans in India is both intriguing and interesting when traced from the time of their arrival in the country of their choice, until today. Their issues and challenges have changed to a greater extent along with their social and political preferences, if not cultural. Owing to this some quality educational institutions aided by professional institutes are operational in catering to the needs of the all-important generation-next, reflecting their community consciousness.

DR. ADFER RASHID SHAH (b. 1983) is a New Delhi based Sociologist, Writer and Senior Researcher. In 2015, he earned his Doctorate in Sociology from the reputed Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, India. Currently he is the Associate Editor (for south Asia) at Eurasia Review (ISSN 2330-717X), and the Associate Editor of the prestigious peer reviewed journal, 'Women's Link' (ISSN 2229-6409) at SNCWS in Jamia Millia Islamia. He has been writing copiously on conflict in Kashmir, Pilgrimage sociology and a wide range of other socio-political issues in south Asia. His recent publications include two books "Kashmir-Yearning for Peace: A Socio-Political history of Uncertainty and Chaos" (ISSN: 978-3-659-55971-6), and Social Science Research in Conflict Zones (ISBN: 978-620-2-47937- 0), besides many research papers and articles in prestigious journals.

The edited volume "Tibetan Refugees in India: Struggle to Survive describes the Tibetan refugee life, their plight, their education and cultural survival in India (their second home.) The introduction to the edited volume explains the dynamics of the emergent culture of Tibetan refugees and discusses how they stand loyal to their culture despite the severe challenges and changes in their social and political preferences. The authors in the edited volume have embarked on different themes, to examine the theoretical justifications and bases for different ways of looking at the changing social and cultural landscape of the refugees. The importance of this edited volume lies in its interrogation of some important concepts of sociology and subjecting them to a thorough and systematic critical analysis. In doing so the authors are able to uncover the set of reasons for the cultural survival of the Tibetans in India. Dr. Adfer R. Shah in his article explores the less known Muslim Tibetan refugee community and discusses their sociological profile to see the level of pattern change, adaptation and conformity with the local culture, socio-economic changes and development. The social transformation which this community has undergone is somewhat different as compared to those who are residing elsewhere. Dr. Mohd. Shahzad in his paper has written on the difficulties of socio-economic adjustment, legal status and matters of citizenship of the Tibetan refugees in India. Mushtaque B Barq has thrown light on how the Tibetan Muslim community shall always be considered as a connecting link between two religions. He argues that this community must be given a due political and social status for their Kashmiri origin. The way this community became skilled in adaptation.

Many interest in Tibet began in 2007 when I along with my batch mates was deputed to conduct a brief fieldwork Tibetan community in Srinagar. It was a part of my curriculum in Master degree in sociology. Credit goes to the eminent Kashmiri sociologist late Prof Bashir Ahmad Dabla for detailing us to three Tibetan colonies in Srinagar for fieldwork. In the beginning though it sounded strange but later on it became my favorite theme of research. This volume emerged from a series of articles written by author and some other friends on Tibet issue. I would like to thank the Tibet journal for giving me the space and special thanks to Mr Yeshi Dhoundup editor of the Tibet journal and his team for all support, guidance, love and care. I am also thankful to my teachers and mentors like Dr Vinita Kaul, Prof. Sabiha Hussain, Prof. Pirzada Amin, Dr Tareak Rather, Dr Afzal Mir for their constant encouragement and believing in me.

**Contents and Sample Pages**