Dear TPR Editorial Board:

Dear Editors,

 I am very grateful to the editorial board of the Tibetan political review for raising this important issue for discussion and also good to know the citizenship status of our Kalons. It will be good to know the citizenship status of our members of the exile parliament also. I  have been talking about this for many years and I found that policy makers do understand but not interested to take further action. In fact many years ago, one of the members of the upper house of the Indian Parliament from Sikkim Mr P.T.Gyamtso spoke about this issue on RFA [Radio Free Asia], while he was on a tour in Washington DC and appealed to take up Indian citizenship.

I am an Indian passport holder, served as a Joint Secretary, a state civil servant of the Indian State of Sikkim before serving TGIE for 12 long years and thereafter resigned.  I would like to share some of my thoughts here.  Unlike other parts of Tibetan settlements in India, Sikkim is restricted area and therefore, almost all Tibetans are born in India between January 26, 1950—July 1, 1987, and likely their children and therefore are legally Indian citizens from birth. Tibetans living in Gangtok, the metro town, realizes this and therefore enjoy all the facilities of a citizen including voter’s right, while Tibetans in Kunpheling settlement in the south of Sikkim are bound by the TGIE law and RC holders and therefore even do not possess ration cards! Yet, both the Tibetans in Gangtok and Kunpheling settlement participate equally in all the activities together and none are more or less Tibetan. I also served few years in Delhi and can say that registration of many Tibetans in the camp as voters in the Delhi assembly and hence opting for Indian citizenship has also played a vital role in the regularization of the Majnukatilla camp.

The success of the Tibet lobby day in the United States is a clear example of the usefulness of patriotic Tibetans with American citizen and how it can make positive changes in the policy of the country.  India, so far, has been very kind as far as the humanitarian part is concerned yet not supportive to the cause of Tibet. Only a politically relevant group, with constitutional rights, can effect policy change in a democracy and Tibetans in India, while maintaining or strengthening our exile administrative system, within the law of the land, can make huge difference.

Since many of the exile policy makers, who are by and large, enlightened lot of the  society, may have understood the merits and demerits of opting for citizenship and hence opted for Indian, USA, and Canadian citizenship must now be practical and  allow the rest of the Tibetan, who are legally eligible for such rights to go ahead in a systemic manner.

It is 50 years plus now in exile and the period of seeking humanitarian assistance is over. If we have to seek political support from the country we live in, it is important to use all the political tools available and one of them is to opt for Indian citizen yet remain a patriotic Tibetan.

By Sempa (Samyeling Tibetan Colony, India).

1.       All Tibetans holding Indian Registration Certificate and who are eligible for the Indian Citizenship under the Indian Citizenship Act, (as explained in the editorial) and who wish to apply for Indian citizenship, must under an unofficial understanding between the MHA, Govt. of India and CTA, Dharamsala get an NOC [No Objection Certificate] from CTA, Dharamsala which is very difficult to get unless you have genuine reasons or good connections.

2.      Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigner’s Division) Govt of India has issued a circular No.  26027/ 08/ 1994–IC dated 23.02.2012 which reads:

‘’ It is clarified in Ministry of Home Affairs (Foreigners Division) Circular No. 26027/ 08/ 1994 – IC dated 23.02.2012 that “the children born to a Tibetan Refugee in India will not be treated as Indian citizen automatically based on their birth in India before 01.07.1987 under section 3(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. All such persons will have to submit an application individually under section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 MHA and thereafter the nationality status of all such children born to Tibetan Refugees in India, will be determined by MHA as per prescribed procedure available under the Citizenship Rules, 2009. All such children, as and when their nationality status as an Indian is decided by this ministry, will have to surrender their Tibetan Refugee Certificate and identity Card before accepting Indian citizenship”.

It may be noted that the Circular was issued by the MHA, after the Hon’ble High Court’s judgment in favour of Namgyal Dolkar, allegedly at the behest of the CTA, Dharamsala probably to discourage Tibetans from applying for Indian Passport.

By Tashi Wangyal (April 20, 2013).

With two hands covering my face and head leaning on the steering wheel, I began to sob quietly engulfed in deep sadness. I was so disheartened and upset when i heard the news.  I quickly murmured few prayers and wished Mr. Gompo Dhatsenpa’s quick rebirth and a peaceful journey ahead. He was a - teacher, historian, scholar, poet, blogger and above all, an incredibly unassuming, humble man.  He passed away early morning on April 6 after battling cancer for almost two years.  Through out his illness, he remained fearless and resolute, and with the tireless love and support from his beloved wife and two children he had fought relentlessly until the end.  

I remember numerous incidents when i would sit with him on his balcony and chat for hours, covering wide range of subjects from Arts to culture, and Tibetan histories to politics.  He was incredibly versatile and profoundly knowledgeable in wide range of subjects.  I have had many incisive discussions with him on variations of Tibetan issues and other interesting subjects. However, it would be dishonest for me to say i understood everything he says because sometimes, as we fall deeper into a discussion, he would unconsciously use terms like "Ohh ley" - when pausing between sentences or "Ok-la" -meaning downstairs or under and many other strange phrases that could potentially throw me out of context. One must understand some of these key words or phrases to have a meaningful dialogue with him.  He was also open-minded, and unlike many conservative immigrants, he never displayed any subversive or indifferent attitude towards western culture and its sub-cultures underneath. 

Few weeks before the fateful day, I visited his house and we sat down together about twenty minutes mostly staring at each other and exchanging views at times. This time I noticed him become really weak and had also lost considerable weight since I last saw him few weeks ago. He was wearing a big brown blanket with white furs inside and his skinny frame inside that giant blanket looks extremely vulnerable   He slowly pulls one end of the blanket and covers his head to stay warm and protected. Then when he began talking, he sounded extremely tired and worn out. He spoke very slowly and with multiple pauses. In the midst of our conversation, he asks me, “Tawang, do you think it is of any use if i perform the surgery that helps feed food through a tube?” He further said, “I don’t think it would help much but what do you think?” To be honest, I was momentarily speechless and didn’t know how to respond to this.  But I quickly gathered myself and said, “look, if I know some people who have performed this procedure before and it extended their life for couple of years more, but not longer. In your case if there is an opportunity to do one, then you should do it.  pause … It may buy you few more years to spend with your family and this would mean a lot for your children in the future. They would rather see you alive and around than not.” and he looked at me straight in the eyes and nods his head few times expressing genuine appreciation for my honest opinion.  In fact, he said, “that is a good perspective of looking at it”, and he then gently turns to get up to the toilet. Unfortunately my visit got cut short by a medical personals arrival at the same time. 

Mr. Dhatsenpa was a teacher back in Tibet (before escaping to India), and in exile, he taught in various Tibetan schools including Bir and Shimla. During his short life, he has edited many Tibetan literatures, wrote numerous articles and opinion pieces in major Tibetan newspapers and blog (www.khabdha.org).  Around the beginning of 1990’s, he became one of the chief Editors at renowned newspaper “Mangtso”, published by Dharamsala based research institute “Amnye Machen”.  During this period, he met his wife, fell in love and eventually immigrated to Montreal, Canada. Since then he spent most of his time raising his children and working at numerous jobs – although none of the job descriptions matched his qualifications and expertise.  However, he never complained nor questioned his choices in life.  He loved his family and lived a very content life. 

Greed and flamboyance was never his cup of tea, and this could be justified by his simplistic lifestyle and unassuming characteristics.  His integrity and unbiased patience are some of his precious attributes.  During his last week in the hospital, his spirits were still strong and no signs of pronounced fear and anxieties were evident.  In fact, a poignant photo of him in the palliative care unit posing with a victory sign cemented his flawless resilience and endurance.

Finally, in the morning of April 6, Mr. Dhatsenpa has made his somber decision to close his eyes for the last time, silently slid down into the comforts of his blankets and embark upon his next journey to a distant world unknown.  I thank you Mr. Dhatsenpa for your gracious company, and i would like to remind you again that it was a memorable ride together, although I wish you had stayed with us a bit longer.  So in the mean time, please accept this bag filled with prayers and hope, and I assure you that we will replenish it eternally.

OM MANI PEDME HUM

By Tsering Topgyal (Montreal, Canada).

By Jamyang Tashi

Dear Editors:

Why are some of my fellow Tibetan netizens so narrow-minded and puerile? It seems to me that our Tibetan eyes are not trained to see far, and minds not spacious enough to accommodate the bigger picture. We (all the supposedly well-informed Tibetans hiding behind avatars) should offer our sincere gratitude rather than lashing out at Mr Lingtsa, who had left behind a comfortable life in Israel to do such a commendable work for Tibet.

The Tibetan Administration had stood on the firm ground of striving for nothing more than a genuine state of Autonomy within CCP's legislation. Parading Chinese Flag along with Tibetan flag is a minor gesture, but a significant step towards that goal.

Setting Chinese flag on fire would do nothing more than burning our own hands, and possibly even get labeled as violent, and barbaric. We will never win a battle against 1.3 billion patriotic people, but history tells that not a single regime is safe at the hands of unity. We have to garner sympathy from Chinese people, and burning a flag that is a source of pride, inspiration and symbol of triumph for Chinese people would antagonize them.

Tibetan Political Review is something of a revolutionary journal. Its boldness to speak out against the missteps of Tibetan dignitaries, and careful diagnosis of ills in Tibetan Politiks is worthy of praise and recognition. But it is equally vital to be free of nepotism, and present cases as it is, which the journal had miserably failed to accomplish so far.

Reading through this particular article was extremely arduous, and left me appalled because of the author (s)’ extreme biases, and accusations lacking scholarly backing. Following is a paragraph taken out from the article:

For the CCP, the this flag represents its control over the Chinese state and the dominance of the Han Chinese. According to China Yearbook 2004 the red color symbolizes revolution and the four smaller stars surrounding a bigger one signifies “the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.” The very flag itself is racist: the large star represents the Han Chinese people, with the smaller stars representing Tibetan, Manchu, Mongol, and Uyghur “minorities” arrayed around the majority Han Chinese.

The current Chinese flag came into existence in 1949 after much ponderance over the appropriateness of whether to include or exclude traditional features such as the Dragon and Tiger. This flag is not a racist symbol, but it symbolizes the construction and the tolerance of China. It symbolizes the ultimate sacrifices of Chinese People, and the dauntlessness of their people in the face of occupation and oppression from foreign forces (something we should learn).

The four stars do not represent Tibetan, Manchu, Mongol and Uyghur. Vice president Biden would put it this way; “ With due respect, but this is bunch Malarkey.” Even a first grader would tell you Tibet was a sovereign state until 1959, and saying one of the stars representing Tibetans is a tacit acceptance of Chinese control over Tibet long before 1959, which is factually incorrect. In fact these four stars represent the four social classes under the Communist Regime at the time: workers, peasants, petty bourgeoisie, and patriotic capitalists.

In this age of technology, an article like this can be circulated via various platforms, and possibly lead to derision and even become a laughing stock if ended in the fastidious hands of detail-savvy  people. This kind of misinformation would mislead our own people, and turn away people who empathize our struggle.

By Wangchuk Tsering

I am compelled to write a few words here as fact checking of various allegations made by Jamyang Norbu against the CTA and the current Tibetan leaders with regards to recent dismissal of Ngapo Jigme from his job at RFA. Actually I am not interested to know what and why of Ngapo’s dismissal but JN’s allegations that it was conspired by CTA headed by the Sikyong who allegedly did what he did at the instigation of Beijing is too far fetched. However this too does not concern me as much as it is the responsibility of CTA and Sikyong to clarify the matter as the allegation was not only coming from JN but also from a lawmaker of the United States of America. I am glad the Sikyong and the speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in exile had issued statements refuting the allegations made by the U.S. lawmaker and it’s now up to him for the next step. 

What irked me most like many other Tibetans who had read Jamyang Norbu’s long article on this matter is his allegation that the adoption of CTA as the henceforth official name of the H.Q of the Tibetan establishment in exile and the recent change of Kalon Tripa to Sikyong as the official title of the head of CTA is at the urging of Beijing and part of CTA leaderships’ way of appeasing the Chinese government. Nothing could be further from the truth than this allegation and in fact it is an act of insult to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Jamyang Norbu knows very well that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was solely responsible for making these two important and necessary changes at the time of his devolution of temporal power to the popularly elected leader of the Tibetan people through the power of ballot over a year ago. His Holiness had given ample explanations to the Tibetan people and non-Tibetan supporters of Tibet at the time. His Holiness had found it necessary to reiterate the matter again and had spoken extensively during his visit to Italy early this summer and at Ladakh during his teaching a few months back. In fact His Holiness had said that he found it necessary to speak again on these two issues because of unfounded allegations by a few Tibetans of betrayal by His Holiness. So as a fellow Tibetan, I urge JN never ever make such mistakes, intentionally or unintentionally and stop twisting fact to suit his own convenience such as this as it is very harmful to the uninitiated and innocent younger generation of Tibetans

By the way I think it is important to know the reasons His Holiness has given for the two important changes I have mentioned above by Maura and other friends and supporters of Tibet. To be very brief, His Holiness had said that the sole reason for adopting the CTA was because of unequivocal rejection of the name Tibetan government in Exile by then late Prime Minister of India Mr. J. Nehru during His Holiness’s meeting with him in the summer of l959 at Massoorie in India. Mr.Nehru had vehemently rejected the idea as unacceptable by the government if India when His Holiness had revealed it to him and thus the CTA was coined.

The title of Sikyong has a very significant meaning and historical importance to us as Tibetans. The title of Sikyong dates back to the time of 5th Dalai Lama and all the subsequent Dalai Lamas leading to the current 14th Dalai Lama. The title of Sikyong (translated in English as Temporal Authority or Administrator) was given to the Regent who was appointed by the Special National Assembly of the Tibetan people called expressly to select and appoint a Sikyong during the interim period of the passing away of the Dalai lama and until the discovery and maturity of next reincarnation to take the power of both temporal and spiritual leadership of the Tibetan nation. His Holiness the Dalai lama specifically mentioned in his speech during the inaugural of Lobsang Sangay as the newly elected Kalong Tripa of CTA that His Holiness was very pleased to confer the title and post of Sikyong to Lobsang Sangay on this very auspicious occasion as he had received it from Sikyong Takdrag Rinpoche the then Sikyong of Tibet over a six decades back. So I would like to remind my fellow Tibetans and also non-Tibetan speaking Supporters of Tibet to know the historical significance of the title Sikyong.

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Dear Editors, 

I would like to respond to an article entitled, The Power of Citizenship by Tsewang Namgal and Maura Moynihan. I agree with their stand on this topic. Tibetans having citizenship in another country can be beneficial to Tibetan society and to the person themselves. I base my thoughts on being a refugee in India. I have a RC and IC Book as primary proof of my being here in this country. Services do not meet the minimal needs of the consumer in India as there was a great deal of confusion about my forms of ID. Earlier, I got a job in Bangalore in IBM outsourcing sector, but then very next day, no job for me. The only reason was that I was a Tibetan (confusion in their mind). Since they wanted my passport, I submitted both my IC and RC book for verification. But later on I got a reply that those two were not enough to offer the job. Perhaps Power of citizenship makes great sense here.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Yeshi Tenzin, Bangalore

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