HimVani
Dharamshala: Taking U-turn from yesterday’s Chief Secretary Rajwant Sandhu remarks indicating clean chit to 17th Karmapa, Ogyene Tirnley Dorjee, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar stated the otherwise. On two day Kanagra district tour, he categorically stated that state government has not given any clean chit on the matter when apex security and other agencies were probing matter regarding seizure of huge amount of foreign currency.
While departing for Chamba here today, Chief Minister was speaking to media persons and he stated, “Question of giving clean chit to Karmapa at this stage does not arise at all, adding that investigations were at critical stage to get into the bottom of the truth from where the illegal foreign currency made its way, which was recovered at the Karmapa monastery during raids conducted by the police last month from January 26 to January 28.” He also said that state police and central investigating agencies are in the midst of investigations and are yet to arrive at any conclusion.
State DGP Daljeet Singh Minhas said that investigations in foreign currency haul matter is at very delicate stage, as state police is probing the matter with great deal of care and attention. On a query about taking 17th Karmapa in custody, he termed it premature and also said that it depends on probe’s progresses. Meanwhile, the three trustees of Karmapa trust, Karma Changeyalapa, Dilyat Rinpoche and Gompa Namgyal did not appear for interrogation by Una police. Una SP Santosh Patial told that in case the three of the trustees of Karmapa trust do not appear for questioning before the Una police again, appropriate action would be initiated against them.
Karmapa, Chinese spy!, now that is music to the ears of Communist China.
By Jamyang DorjeeSikkim Express
The recent police raids conducted at Karmapa’s residence in Dharamsala with media that led to recovery of international currencies including Chinese currency and subsequent accusation by the media, particularly some television channels of him being a Chinese spy and money laundering is most unfortunate and seemed pre planned. As the spokesperson for Karmapa Mr Karma Toden, former MP Rajya Sabha rightly said in his press conference” the very flight of Karmapa to India ten year back gained international media coverage and exposed China’s misrule in Tibet ,which could not have been work of Chinese spy”. Generally, malicious attacks on defaming the institution of spiritual masters like Shankracharya and Swami Ram Dev and others in India have been the modern day trend of so called secular media
His Holiness Karmapa, the Head of the Kagyupa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, has millions of followers around the world including those from the Chinese who come to visit him in hundreds every day. Ever since he came to India, every visitor who comes to meet him undergoes a strict security drill. Every one of the visitor is registered and frisked by the security officials and the itinerary of his tours outside Dharamsala is undertaken with prior approval of the external affairs ministry, Government of India. He has no freedom to move freely as he wishes and meet guests without the knowledge of the security agencies.
In accordance with Buddhist tradition, devotees offer money in their own currency – be it an Indian, an American, European or a Chinese at any given time of the day. Hence it would be ridiculous to charge any religious head of being a spy simply because his disciples offer him Chinese currency. The offerings were made in the presence of security agencies and will continue to happen unless the Government of India opens a foreign exchange counter at his office and makes it mandatory for every disciple to exchange and offer in Indian currency. Yes, it is a fact that the staff should have acted according to the law of the land and promptly deposited the money to the trust account without accumulating. This was a total administrative failure and trying to link this to unfound issues and defame an institution is misleading and disinformation.
Karmapa left behind his monastery, one of the richest in Tibet, his dear parents and close disciples to come to the land of his Guru and not to be a subject of humiliation like this. Even after 11 years in India, he is not allowed to visit Rumtek, his main seat in Sikkim or buy land and built a new monastery to be called his own in Himachal Pradesh and is still staying in a monastery that does not belong to his sect. Yet even at this young age, he inherited a responsibly to logistically support thousands of his monks and nuns in various monasteries in India and Nepal including his main monastery in Sikkim. These monasteries neither have trees where money is grown nor received any kind of Central or state Government funds to meet daily expenses of for food, clothing and studies. They are dependent on their Lamas. Personally Karmapa does not have even a pocket on his saffron robe.
Ever since Tibetans came to exile 60 years back, with all the money and power, China could not win the heart of a single Tibetan who will spy for them with a design to hurt India’s security and that includes His Holiness Karmapa. On the almost all the of six million Tibetans in Tibet turn their heart towards India where their ultimate refuge (soul ) His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Karmapa and others live. Off course the Chinese have every reason to suspect Tibetans but why India? Many Tibetans who studied in India and returned back to Tibet are today languishing in Chinese jails for their crime of studying in India. In India, many Tibetans have laid their life from the hills of Kargil to the plains of Bangladesh for the security of their adopted motherland, outside of the media glare for security reasons. Tibetan youths continue to serve in the Indian army with dedication.
When Over 50,000 people gathered on September 26, 2010 in the peaceful Himalayan state of Sikkim and organize rally to urge the Government of India to lift travel restrictions so the Karmapa can come home, why were the media not excited then as today to highlight the sentiments of his disciples?. The Karmapa lineage’s relations with the Sikkimese people date back to the time of the 12th Karmapa, Changchub Dorji (1703–1732). It is time that media understand the depth of the rich Buddhist Sangha tradition in general and particularly the true sentiments of the disciples instead of hurting them by throwing grossly speculative and baseless accusations. Karmapa is neither a spy of any country nor a magician to perform tricks as challenged by one of the claimant of the Rumtek throne from time to time. He is an institution that embodies 900 years old legacy of Kagyu tradition of compassion and peace. Such accusations will be music to the ears of Communist Chinese authority and I wish our media be little mindful of playing such music.
The writer is an editorial consultant to Radio Free Asia, Washington DC and former Joint Secretary to the Government of Sikkim.
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In the meantime the centre has given the clean chit. The Karmapa is not a spy and he has not done anything unlawful regarding the money. It’s all donations. It’s all so clear. But some people just love bad stories and try to uphold their weird opinions.
If you are really interested in why they stored the money in the monastery and other things – this is all explained in detail on the website of the Karmapa’s Administration. http://www.kagyuoffice.org/
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