Raju, Dharamshala.

“I did BA in arts. I am married and I have three children. My wife is a tailor and I have this vegetable stall here in McLeod Ganj. 

“Vegetable business is a tough one. If you can’t sell it on time, then you will have loss. I travel 10 km from my home to the stall. I open around 7am and go to home around 8pm. it is around 13 hours a day. I want to sleep late and take rest as I am getting old but me and my wife have to send the kids to school. Our eldest daughter is doing her Masters, our second daughter, she is doing her B-com and then our son, he is doing his +2.”

“Life is difficult. I can’t save any money at all as the school fees are expensive. Then food, clothes and everything is becoming so expensive.”

“I come home exhausted and my wife too. We hardly talk but once when we have dinner with our kids, then everything changes. The table is filled with little food that we have. We have talk, we share and we are happy. Then all of my tiredness get disappear. It is the most beautiful time of the day.” 

“Most of my customers are Tibetan. They are nice and kind. I am glad that I am doing business with mainly Tibetans as they are the one of the best customers you can have. I am glad that McLeod Ganj is mainly filled with Tibetans.” 

"I being an Indian, I welcome them to India. I don’t know exactly how it feels to be a refugee but I am sure that it is difficult for Tibetans to leave their country. I don’t know very well about whole situation but I know that Dalai Lama is very nice man and Tibetans are too. I hate China.”

Photo And Interview: Kunsang Tenzing