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Kora
Poems and stories written by contemporary Tibetan writer, poet, and activist, Tenzin Tsundue.
46 pages, paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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146 people want to read
About the author
Tenzin Tsundue
10 books18 followersTenzin Tsundue is a poet, writer and a noted Tibetan freedom activist. He won the first-ever 'Outlook-Picador Award for Non-Fiction' in 2001. He has published three books to date which has been translated into several languages. Tsundue’s writings have also appeared in various publications around the world including The International PEN, The Indian PEN, Sahitya Akademi’s Indian Literature, The Little Magazine, Outlook, The Times of India, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Better Photography, The Economic Times, Tehelka, The Daily Star (Bangladesh), Today (Singapore), Tibetan Review and Gandhi Marg. In 2002 the Indian edition of the international fashion magazine Elle, named him among India's 50 most stylish people.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 14, 2015
In a world which always races past leaving behind all, without noticing any change; for all the heart which has gone indifferent in the quotidian routines, with no time to look beyond the point of one’s nose; for all the voices we have failed to listen and give an opportunity of being heard, this book by Tenzin Tsundue comes as an axe that breaks the ice, and asks us to stop. To Listen.
Tenzin Tsundue is a poet, writer and an activist who gives voice to all the oppressed people of Tibet. Since 1949, when Chinese army brutally captured Tibet and put in place a bloody occupation policy, Tibet continues to be an ‘integral part’ of Republic of China. As the 'Letter from Kathmandu’ notes, in 'reality’ Tibet does not exist as a country; it has no recognition as such in the diplomatic and political arena of its own. This book, aptly titled ‘Kora’ meaning ‘revolution’, is a compendium of various poems, articles and essays of Tenzin written at various periods of time. Just as all the revolutionary work goes, this work of the author is also self-published with the monetary help of his elder sister, Choney Wangmo.
Tenzin is born in India. His parents continues to remain in Karnataka. He grew up in various parts of India, from Himachal Pradesh to Madras to Mumbai, pursuing his studies in literature. India’s culture, and his own cosmopolitan growth has imbued in him a love for this land yet his lack of identity and longing for his lost motherland has turned him a rebel. A rebel who has taken up pen as his weapon. A rebel whose prose or poems has the language of heart touching simplicity and lucidness. A rebel whose work evokes with vividness the pain and suffering of a refugee who has been evicted from their homeland and longs for the reunion with what was once their own.
The great poet Rabindranath Tagore of the last century envisioned ‘One World. One Home’, an idealised world which is not cut and ripped apart by man-made borders. That idea is still a dream; a distant dream to come true. To make the idea of Rabindranath Tagore, the world still has to evolve beyond the closed discussions of bureaucracy and the apparent muffles of diplomacy. Until then, even if the ideas of this great poet go subdued, at least we should not long wait to create a world where one’s home is not taken away in the name of power and prowess. When somewhere in the other corner of this good earth, far far away, ISIS bombards Syria, fundamentalists threatens Pakistan and Bangladesh, Israel wants to grab Palestine, and, near home, when Indian government pushes hard to acquire land for many a purpose, under the garb of economic development, voices like that of Tenzin Tsundue deserves to be listened and demands an honest answer. For they reminds us, with a sting, that land is an intricate fabric weaved tightly in the identity of a person, and when we take it away, a man's history is being adeptly and sublimely erased.
Tenzin Tsundue is a poet, writer and an activist who gives voice to all the oppressed people of Tibet. Since 1949, when Chinese army brutally captured Tibet and put in place a bloody occupation policy, Tibet continues to be an ‘integral part’ of Republic of China. As the 'Letter from Kathmandu’ notes, in 'reality’ Tibet does not exist as a country; it has no recognition as such in the diplomatic and political arena of its own. This book, aptly titled ‘Kora’ meaning ‘revolution’, is a compendium of various poems, articles and essays of Tenzin written at various periods of time. Just as all the revolutionary work goes, this work of the author is also self-published with the monetary help of his elder sister, Choney Wangmo.
"I am more of an Indian
Except for my chinky Tibetian face"
Tenzin is born in India. His parents continues to remain in Karnataka. He grew up in various parts of India, from Himachal Pradesh to Madras to Mumbai, pursuing his studies in literature. India’s culture, and his own cosmopolitan growth has imbued in him a love for this land yet his lack of identity and longing for his lost motherland has turned him a rebel. A rebel who has taken up pen as his weapon. A rebel whose prose or poems has the language of heart touching simplicity and lucidness. A rebel whose work evokes with vividness the pain and suffering of a refugee who has been evicted from their homeland and longs for the reunion with what was once their own.
"My Registration Certificate (my permit to stay in India) states that I’m a foreigner residing in India and my citizenship is Tibetan. But Tibet as a nation does not feature anywhere on the world political map. I like to speak in Tibetan, but prefer to write in English, I like to sing in Hindi but my tune and accent are all wrong. Every once in a while, someone walks up and demands to know where I come from. My defiant answer “Tibetan” raises more than just their eyebrows. I’m bombarded with questions and statements and doubts and sympathy. But none of them can ever empathise with the plain simple fact that I have nowhere to call home and in the world at large all I’ll ever be is a ‘political refugee’."
The great poet Rabindranath Tagore of the last century envisioned ‘One World. One Home’, an idealised world which is not cut and ripped apart by man-made borders. That idea is still a dream; a distant dream to come true. To make the idea of Rabindranath Tagore, the world still has to evolve beyond the closed discussions of bureaucracy and the apparent muffles of diplomacy. Until then, even if the ideas of this great poet go subdued, at least we should not long wait to create a world where one’s home is not taken away in the name of power and prowess. When somewhere in the other corner of this good earth, far far away, ISIS bombards Syria, fundamentalists threatens Pakistan and Bangladesh, Israel wants to grab Palestine, and, near home, when Indian government pushes hard to acquire land for many a purpose, under the garb of economic development, voices like that of Tenzin Tsundue deserves to be listened and demands an honest answer. For they reminds us, with a sting, that land is an intricate fabric weaved tightly in the identity of a person, and when we take it away, a man's history is being adeptly and sublimely erased.
March 7, 2021
It is quite a coincidence that I read Tenzin Tsundue’s ‘Kora’ just a couple of days before the anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day. On 10-March-1959, Tibetans revolted against the People’s Republic of China, and the uprising resulted in many deaths, and the exile of the Dalai Lama. It’s been 62 years since the uprising, and it’s been more than 21 years since the first edition of this collection of poems, and essays was published, but any progress made toward the cause of ‘Free Tibet’ is not substantial.
In his poems, Tsundue laments. His words shed tears of blood for Tibetans’ statelessness. But what makes Tsundue’s work different from other Tibetan literature I have read is Tsundue’s refusal to be knocked down by hopelessness, and resignation. He is angry, restless, and asserts that Tibetans and their allies should develop a political consciousness, and actively fight for their cause.
While Tsundue has deep admiration for the Dalai Lama, he opines in his writing that the Tibetans’ freedom struggle lost its momentum after the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Known for his unconventional yet powerful protests, Tsundue reports that the identity crisis amidst the young Tibetans needs to be addressed, and that they need support to feel rooted, and to dream for a nation that is free, and that belongs to them. From his essays, I understand that asylum, solace, and the space to practise the endangered culture could only provide temporary relief, and what every Tibetan deserves is a path that will take them home.
The vein of violence that pops up here and there, in his writing, in the revolution that is long due, makes me uncomfortable. But who am I to say how the oppressed should resist! What do I know about being a Refugee, as Tsundue says, with a big R on my forehead!
My wish for Tibetans is that the big R in Refugee should grow into the big R in Rangzen.
In his poems, Tsundue laments. His words shed tears of blood for Tibetans’ statelessness. But what makes Tsundue’s work different from other Tibetan literature I have read is Tsundue’s refusal to be knocked down by hopelessness, and resignation. He is angry, restless, and asserts that Tibetans and their allies should develop a political consciousness, and actively fight for their cause.
While Tsundue has deep admiration for the Dalai Lama, he opines in his writing that the Tibetans’ freedom struggle lost its momentum after the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Known for his unconventional yet powerful protests, Tsundue reports that the identity crisis amidst the young Tibetans needs to be addressed, and that they need support to feel rooted, and to dream for a nation that is free, and that belongs to them. From his essays, I understand that asylum, solace, and the space to practise the endangered culture could only provide temporary relief, and what every Tibetan deserves is a path that will take them home.
The vein of violence that pops up here and there, in his writing, in the revolution that is long due, makes me uncomfortable. But who am I to say how the oppressed should resist! What do I know about being a Refugee, as Tsundue says, with a big R on my forehead!
My wish for Tibetans is that the big R in Refugee should grow into the big R in Rangzen.
September 27, 2019
At the Bengaluru Poetry Festival, 2019, is when I first met Tenzin, and bought Kora. He said, "It is the cheapest book in the world." Indeed. Tenzin would always be seen wearing a black shirt paired with blue jeans, and a red bandanna tied around his head. He vows to not take it off until his country is free again.
Tenzin self published Kora, with the help of his friends, after finishing his MA from Bombay University. He thrives off the sale of his books, and other side projects about the Free Tibet struggle.
'Kora' can transport you to a mountain land with smiling faces of Tibetans, living on their farms, tending to their yaks — a dream I too came to envision, while reading the book.
Kora is a journey into Tenzin's life as a refugee, and that of his people — the void they grew up with, the torture they escaped from, the roof they found away from home, the struggle they've endured to rebuild life from ruins, while still fighting for freedom.
I felt heart broken reading it, especially at the resounding, stark reminder that a 3,500 km permanent border that India shares with China, is a wound that is symbolic of the perishing of Tibetans.
The dream of a "Free Tibet" is only sustained by the young Tibetan voices, who had to flee their Homeland. The existence of Tibet is not even recognized as a country, since the Chinese Occupation of Tibet, in 1949.
People are supposed to carry their home within themselves. Tenzin and those like him, carry their exile within themselves.
They are all brave. They live in uncertainty, and risk their safety, while sustaining the freedom struggle, which has lost its momentum over the years.
I hope by reading the work that's deeply personal to them, we lend them our support.
Kora keeps alive a few stories of the older generation, that died with only the dreams of going back home.
www.tenzintsundue.com
Tenzin self published Kora, with the help of his friends, after finishing his MA from Bombay University. He thrives off the sale of his books, and other side projects about the Free Tibet struggle.
'Kora' can transport you to a mountain land with smiling faces of Tibetans, living on their farms, tending to their yaks — a dream I too came to envision, while reading the book.
Kora is a journey into Tenzin's life as a refugee, and that of his people — the void they grew up with, the torture they escaped from, the roof they found away from home, the struggle they've endured to rebuild life from ruins, while still fighting for freedom.
I felt heart broken reading it, especially at the resounding, stark reminder that a 3,500 km permanent border that India shares with China, is a wound that is symbolic of the perishing of Tibetans.
The dream of a "Free Tibet" is only sustained by the young Tibetan voices, who had to flee their Homeland. The existence of Tibet is not even recognized as a country, since the Chinese Occupation of Tibet, in 1949.
People are supposed to carry their home within themselves. Tenzin and those like him, carry their exile within themselves.
They are all brave. They live in uncertainty, and risk their safety, while sustaining the freedom struggle, which has lost its momentum over the years.
I hope by reading the work that's deeply personal to them, we lend them our support.
Kora keeps alive a few stories of the older generation, that died with only the dreams of going back home.
www.tenzintsundue.com
October 11, 2024
I’ll admit it, I picked up this book while waiting for my Tibetan language class to start because it was short. I made the mistake of thinking that fewer words means a “light read.” I began tearing up before the review of ཀ ཁ ག ང …
Tenzin Tsundue does not use highly complex language or gory imagery; his poems and prose deliver their blows in their careful and blunt observation of a world where his people are living in the temporary, waiting to return to a home some of them have never seen. Tsundue shows us that the world is poetry, in its grief and in its contradictions.
Tenzin Tsundue does not use highly complex language or gory imagery; his poems and prose deliver their blows in their careful and blunt observation of a world where his people are living in the temporary, waiting to return to a home some of them have never seen. Tsundue shows us that the world is poetry, in its grief and in its contradictions.
February 14, 2014
A mí sí me ha tocado la sensibilidad. Es conmovedor por varias razones.
http://www.losmilyunlibros.com/2014/0...
http://www.losmilyunlibros.com/2014/0...
June 2, 2020
This book is brilliant. It is beautifully written and it touched me deeply. I hope everyone reads it. In light of the new events happening in the world, we should all sit down for a while and think about how we could end the many tragedies happening around us. We are taught by our parents and teachers the old ways, we should be the ones teaching them the new ways. As long as we spend all our time fighting the past, we have little chances to build a different future. I might be seen as a white woman, a privileged person, but the prison of the mind is the same for everyone, only on different levels and issues.
The stories that I read in this book are shocking and it made me think that we are fighting the wrong enemy. In my opinion, the real enemies are the concepts that we inherited, not other people.
The stories that I read in this book are shocking and it made me think that we are fighting the wrong enemy. In my opinion, the real enemies are the concepts that we inherited, not other people.
November 1, 2020
Short read, Collection of multiple essay and poem written by Tenzin Teundue. Gives you glimps of what Tibet refugees living everyday.
For us it might be a book but for people of Tibet it's their struggle for their home land.
For us it might be a book but for people of Tibet it's their struggle for their home land.
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September 12, 2019Simple, eloquent and revealing. :)
March 12, 2020
3.5/5 stars
April 29, 2020
You'll feel for Tibet after reading this.
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October 18, 2020The poems are beautiful, one of my favorities is "when it rains in Dharamshala"
February 15, 2021
lovely selection of essays and poems which really bring home to you the plight of Tibetans under Chinese oppression
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October 29, 2022impossible to rate now that i've met tsundue la in person, all i can say is i cried reading this
December 23, 2024
One of those books which fill you up. Phenomenal writing!
February 21, 2025
It's a nice short book. Gives a glimpse of how refugees from Tibet feel and also a sneak peek into the life of displaced Tibetans.
March 17, 2025
All good poetry is about the same few great themes - love, freedom, hope. Kora captures all of these.
November 23, 2019
‘Our tiled roof dripped
And the four walls threatened to fall apart
But we were going home soon.’
I came across this little book while reading up on the Tibetan struggle for freedom from the Chinese government. Through his stories, Tenzin Tsundue expresses not just his longing, but the longing of three generations of Tibetans settled in India and the world, to return to their homeland.
In his poems ‘Exile House’, ‘When It Rains In Dharamshala’ and ‘A Personal Reconnaissance’, Tsundue beautifully, and in simple words, expresses the plight of his grandparents and parents who crossed the border into India following the atrocities committed against them and had to rebuild their lives, waiting for the day they’d return home. A year of exile, they were told. It’s been 60 years. Tsundue’s short stories are even more immersive and moving, to say the least.
And the four walls threatened to fall apart
But we were going home soon.’
I came across this little book while reading up on the Tibetan struggle for freedom from the Chinese government. Through his stories, Tenzin Tsundue expresses not just his longing, but the longing of three generations of Tibetans settled in India and the world, to return to their homeland.
In his poems ‘Exile House’, ‘When It Rains In Dharamshala’ and ‘A Personal Reconnaissance’, Tsundue beautifully, and in simple words, expresses the plight of his grandparents and parents who crossed the border into India following the atrocities committed against them and had to rebuild their lives, waiting for the day they’d return home. A year of exile, they were told. It’s been 60 years. Tsundue’s short stories are even more immersive and moving, to say the least.
November 4, 2021
If I sum up how I felt about the writing, it's "Simple yet Beautiful" and the emotions I felt throughout the book was overwhelming. The book made me feel like I was with him throughout his journey.
August 18, 2021
The story about Tibet really spoke to me. A nice collection.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews