Friends of Tibet Foundation and The Alcove Publishers are proud to present "Indian Cartoonists on Tibet (1950-2025)" — a powerful collection of cartoons capturing the voices of Indian cartoonists on the Tibet issue and the 75 years of tumultuous India-China relations. Stay tuned for its upcoming release!
'INDIAN CARTOONISTS ON TIBET' (1950-2025)
The Roof of the World sandwiched between the two Asian giants: India and China, had for centuries managed to remain untouched by the changes and revolutions happening in the world. It had the reputation to be the last 'Shangrila' on earth. But this serene state of affairs dramatically changed in October 1950, when the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) marched unhindered onto the Tibetan soil. A new ideology, less compassionate than the Dharma which had come from India twelve centuries earlier, pretended to liberate the Land of Snows. So said the new Communist masters!
For India, it translated into the loss of a buffer zone with China and a new neighbour. Her peaceful and un-disputed northern border soon became the object of a bitter dispute which continues fifty years later. It took many years for the Indian Prime Minister to realize the ominous change resulting from invasion of Tibet. In 1959, the Dalai Lama had no alternative but to flee his homeland and take refuge in what he calls Arya Bhumi, the Land of the Buddha. In October 1962, Mao's troops invaded NEFA and Ladakh.
While Nehru's government generously provided rehabilitation and education for 85,000 Tibetan refugees who remain grateful for this gesture, the Indian Prime Minister made it clear from the start that India would not provide political support to free Tibet from the Chinese yoke. Delhi attached too much importance to a friendship (at times brotherhood) with Beijing. The Dalai Lama began then his quest to find a 'middle path' solution to the sufferings of his people.
'Indian Cartoonists on Tibet' is the story of the struggle of a man for peace and freedom; a man, who believes that "through the history of mankind, solutions achieved through the use of force have inevitably been transitory." This man, that Tibetans venerate as a god, says: "A solution can be genuine and lasting only if and when it is to the full satisfaction of the people concerned." Unfortunately, the regime in Beijing has not so far been able to share his belief, though the rest of the world has greatly profited from the Tibetan leader's wisdom.
Today we are living in the era of mass media and communication. Cartoons can still convey a strong message which can be grasped by all. We have here a collection of the greatest names in Indian cartoons which paints their perceptions of the Dalai Lama as well as the often difficult relations between India and China. More than a TV program or a newspaper report, they help us to perceive the Great History behind the smaller one.
After 46 years in exile from his Himalayan home, the basic message of the Dalai Lama remains the same: each and every man on this earth is entitled to happiness and it is the responsibility of each one of us to act, speak or write in such a way to make this possible.
It is worth citing here the Dalai Lama's favourite quote (from the Buddhist sage Shantideva):
"If it can be remedied
This does not mean that one has to 'give up'. The Dalai Lama's message on one of the last cartoons in this collection gives us the faith that perseverance will help us to one day reach to our highest goals. The book published by Friends of Tibet in association with Alcove Publishers is dedicated to the long Life of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama who will be 90 years old on July 6, 2025.
May all beings be happy and enjoy the cartoons!
Friends of Tibet, PO Box 16674, Mumbai 400050, India.
Friends of Tibet is a people's movement to keep alive the issue of Tibet through direct action. Our activities are aimed at ending China's occupation of Tibet and the suffering of the Tibetan people. Friends of Tibet supports the continued struggle of the Tibetan people for independence. Friends of Tibet is also one of the principal organisers of World Tibet Day around the world.
Digital Support: Ibiblio Digital Library & Archive Project, University of North Carolina, USA
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