By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, February 18 – A nine-member delegation of Buddhist leaders and monks from Sikkim, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh met with India’s home secretary G.K. Pillai on Wednesday in New Delhi to express their disappointment over the “unfounded” allegations against 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinlay Dorjee by sections of the Indian media.
Led by Smt. Spalzes Angmo, Member of the National Commission for Minorities, the delegation pressed upon the Home Secretary that the sentiments of the Buddhist community of Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were deeply hurt by the allegations that the 17th Karmapa was a Chinese spy. They further added that the people of the Himalayan region are nationalists and patriotic to the core and have fought wars on the borders to defend their motherland.
The Home Secretary assured the delegation that the Centre did not regard the Karmapa to be a Chinese spy and that the office of the Karmapa should be advised to have knowledge of the existing laws and to hire Chartered accountants to manage the funds in a proper manner and register the trust under Foreign Contribution and Regulatory Act (FCRA).
The Delegation had earlier last week met with the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi who assured that she would look into the matter so that the sentiments of the people would be assuaged.
Smt. Spalzes Angmo told phayul that she expressed her thanks to Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Shri P. Chidamabaram and Shri G.K. Pillai, for “respecting the sentiments of the Buddhists community of Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh by giving a clean chit to the Karmapa and for restoring” the dignity of the Karmapa institution. “This would go a long way in keeping the unity and integrity of the country alive,” Angmo said.
