The Meeting
Sitting outside a Police Station in the middle of a forest in Southern India in 1989, I wondered how this adventure would end. It didn't look too promising when my husband, Don and I had been summoned by a policeman who arrived from nowhere. We'd been dropped off from a bus we'd caught from Bangalore. The bus driver assured us we were at the Tibetan Settlement of Bylakuppe when he drove off. Looking around all we could see were trees and the road, nothing else. We started to walk in no particular direction and caughtg sight of a small cottage hidden amongst the trees. Apart from a feeling of relief, I also remember being pleased as I felt a sense of recognition. Its design was so British, complete with front garden, path and gate. As we started to open the gate to approach a woman coming out from the cottage, so a loud voice beckoned us. It was a policeman.
Gesturing for us to follow him, he said nothing and ignored our attempts at conversation. A police station came into view; like the cottage it was hidden from the road. Inside was a small room with a desk and two cells, one which had the word "MEN" carved into a stone above a cell door, the other "WOMEN". My imagination worked overtime as the policeman then gave us the chance to explain what we were doing. We're visiting friends in the Tibetan Settlement of Bylakuppe we told him. He looked at our passports and told us that we most certainly wouldn't be visiting the settlement as we didn't have a permit. We asked from where we might get a permit and were told, in New Delhi. Given that we had just travelled for four days and spent three uncomfortable nights on the Karnataka Express train, we asked if there was anything else we might do to avoid that return journey. The Indian shake of the head took place and then we were told that if we made a "small contribution" a telephone call might be made to Sonam, the Tibetan friend we had come to visit, to inform him of our presence.
We made the "contribution" which turned out to be about a month's wage for the policeman, the call was made and all we had to do was wait.
I went outside to sit whilst Don engaged the policeman in conversation. It seemed like an age when all of a sudden, a motorbike pulled up, a man took off his helmet and walked past me into the station. When I heard Don joining in a conversation I realised Sonam, the Tibetan friend we were searching for, had arrived.
Not much was said that I understood, however I was told later that we had been given permission to enter the Settlement and stay for one night only. At least we had arrived and our objective achieved, if only seemingly for one night!
To be continued...........................................
Gesturing for us to follow him, he said nothing and ignored our attempts at conversation. A police station came into view; like the cottage it was hidden from the road. Inside was a small room with a desk and two cells, one which had the word "MEN" carved into a stone above a cell door, the other "WOMEN". My imagination worked overtime as the policeman then gave us the chance to explain what we were doing. We're visiting friends in the Tibetan Settlement of Bylakuppe we told him. He looked at our passports and told us that we most certainly wouldn't be visiting the settlement as we didn't have a permit. We asked from where we might get a permit and were told, in New Delhi. Given that we had just travelled for four days and spent three uncomfortable nights on the Karnataka Express train, we asked if there was anything else we might do to avoid that return journey. The Indian shake of the head took place and then we were told that if we made a "small contribution" a telephone call might be made to Sonam, the Tibetan friend we had come to visit, to inform him of our presence.
We made the "contribution" which turned out to be about a month's wage for the policeman, the call was made and all we had to do was wait.
I went outside to sit whilst Don engaged the policeman in conversation. It seemed like an age when all of a sudden, a motorbike pulled up, a man took off his helmet and walked past me into the station. When I heard Don joining in a conversation I realised Sonam, the Tibetan friend we were searching for, had arrived.
Not much was said that I understood, however I was told later that we had been given permission to enter the Settlement and stay for one night only. At least we had arrived and our objective achieved, if only seemingly for one night!
To be continued...........................................