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No change in govt stand on Karmapa Lama

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

It is now one week since the 17th Karmapa Lama, Orgyen Trinley Dorji, made his dramatic escape from a monastery outside Lhasa to India, across the world's tallest range and that too in winter.

Yet, one week later the government of India's official stand remains just the same: "We are inquiring into the matter." Today, the ministry of external affairs spokesperson once more repeated his oft-stated line.

The Tibetan parliament-in-exile has submitted a "personal" letter, addressed to the foreign secretary. The letter was delivered to the ministry of external affairs' reception counter at South Block, New Delhi.

While the ministry of external affairs refused to comment on the contents of the letter, a press note put out by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile said that the personal note requested that the Karmapa Lama be allowed to stay on in India.

Even as Tibetans and pro-Tibet lobbies put up pressure on India to grant asylum to the Karmapa Lama, questions are being asked about the granting of asylum. But no Tibetan in India has been granted "political asylum", not even His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Tibetans who flee from Tibet to India and also Tibetans born to parents who have fled Tibet are granted refugee status. On reaching India and seeking refugee status, all such Tibetans are given a 'Tibet Refugee Certificate', an identity card that, incidentally, also doubles up as a passport.

India is home to about 130,000 Tibetans, many of them today having been born in India to parents who fled along with the Dalai Lama way back in 1959 and the early 1960s.

However, the Dalai Lama, given his status as a venerated spiritual leader, has been given a diplomatic passport by India. A diplomatic passport is given to all top leaders and diplomats and such passport entails certain privileges, the most common being that baggage is not checked at airports. No other Tibetan leader has, to date, been given such a passport.

Thus, despite the brouhaha being made about granting "political asylum" to the Karmapa Lama, the fact is that since India has not granted such "political asylum" to any person from Tibet so far, there is no reason that the Karmapa Lama will be treated differently.

"The whole demand for political asylum is emanating more from the Western nations than from India," pointed out a diplomatic observer, "and there is really no reason to fall into that trap. The Lama can just stay here as have so many of his brethren and as the Dalai Lama does. Why rake up a controversy by giving him a political asylum status?"

The Karmapa Lama will be allowed to stay on in India as a refugee (so far, India has almost never sent any Tibetan back to Tibet against his will), should he choose to apply for such a status. So far, neither he nor anyone on his behalf has sought refugee status, at least not officially.

Also, as per media reports, the Karmapa Lama is supposed to be just 14 years old. It also means that as a minor (below 18 years of age), he cannot apply for refugee status on his own. Either his parents or guardian will have to make the application. Apparently, the Karmapa Lama's 24-year-old sister too escaped with him and is with him.

But till such time as the government actually receives an application, it is willing to let the matter simmer even as the media waits impatiently for some statement on the status of the Karmapa Lama.

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