Life in Tibetan Settlements 

After the failure of popular Tibetan uprising against the Chinese Occupation in 1959 many Tibetans escaped into Exile following their leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.  They gathered in refugee camps along the borders living in tents, hoping and praying for speedy return home.  More refugees kept coming from Tibet through out the sixties, escaping the Chinese reprisals of the uprising and changes in Tibet.  As no political solution or world help came forward to resolve the China's occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan refugees were moved around India to Northern states working on mountainous roads as Tibetans are more adapted to high altitudes. 

The physical demands of the road work, the poor conditions of living, lack of schools for the children.  It was probably the most difficult times for the Tibetan refugees.  Many died of tropical decease like TB, Cholera, malaria, etc, others carried the illness long time and passed it on and  many took to bad habits of smoking and drinking, they are now suffering in their old ages. 

Only in 1970s to bring relieve to the harsh conditions of road work and road camps, many Tibetans were moved all over India.  They were settled into Settlements around India often in remote, isolated, poor places.  Each settlement consists of several camps or villages consisting of 100 - 40 household. Each households has a plot of land depending on the size of the family, the first settlements had bigger camps but some people had to travel up-to 5km to get to their field, so later they built smaller camps so people can be closer to their field. 

Each settlements formed their own cooperative society with help from Aid agencies.  Every camp in the settlements work together in helping each other in growing crops, for many farming was new to them let long the environment and climate they are now living in. These settlement had a very good comradeship and unity among people, ironically it was very close to communism.  They gave lots of hope with better houses, cleaner living, small plot of lands to grow crops, schools and freedom to live and preserve Tibetan traditions and culture. 

The main source of livelihood was from farming, animal husbandry, handicraft centers, individuals skills in carpentry, building or ploughing. The living conditions was only subsistent, each year it was dependent on weather and quality of your plot of land whether you had enough or had to go into debts or sell your few precious belongings brought from Tibet.  For many seventies and eighties were very poor times in the settlements, only consolation were the support of the community to pull together and faith in our religion and leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 

In 1980s people grew more confident and started selling sweaters in winter all over India. This gave much needed income to many people as there was no work in the settlements in the winters.  This business has made few Tibetans rich, who have now set up permanent business, for many it was way to supplement their income and often pay off the debts incurred through farming. Now a days the sweater business have become too competitive with many locals competing for the same market places and general fashion trends have change.  

As for the younger or exile born generations who went to school they are always looking for work away from the settlements.  The settlements can offer little imagination or employment to the youths born in them.  The old for whom these settlement brought some relieve, it was good place to keep the family intact and bring the children in a community with little external influences.  Many now still stay and work in the settlements because it keeps them busy, it is no longer for the money as often their children can earn in a month what they can in a year.  Unfortunately those without children or close relatives outside the settlement, life is still hard and the field is most likely source of income.  There are also newer and remoter settlements that are still going through the same evolution of settling  than looking for external source of income to bring relieve to the continual poverty.