By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, November 1: With the Tibetan voters set take part in the upcoming assembly elections of Himachal Pradesh, BJP leader Kishan Kapoor, contesting from Dharamshala constituency met with Tibetans at Yongling School in Mcleod Ganj yesterday.
Acknowledging that the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama turning the city into an international destination, the former state minister said that he would address all the major problems faced by both the people of the communities living in Dharamshala.
The number of Tibetans holding voter ID card have increased in the state from the last assembly election with over 400 Tibetans applying for Voter ID in the Dharamshala constituency alone.
“It does not matter to us whether the vote count has increased or not since supporting the Tibetan community has been one of our party’s main motive. We believe in addressing the problems faced by the public, be it Indian or Tibetan,” said the former minister.
The four-time MLA from Dharamshala lauded the Central government in Delhi under PM Narendra Modi for standing firm against China’s intrusion in Doklam.
“Under his leadership, other nations, including China, have started to take India seriously,” he said, adding that Tibet’s history would have been different if PM Modi was the PM during Tibet’s occupation by China.
The politician addressed that the main problem faced by McLeod Ganj especially during peak tourist season is the lack of parking areas and traffic jams. The former transport minister vowed to pick up from where he left in solving the problem.
He also highlighted the developmental schemes that Tibetans could avail under a directive issued by the central government on May 15, 2017.
The Election Commission of India has awarded the Tibetans born in India after January 26, 1950 and before July 1, 1987 with the voting rights as per the Citizenship Act of 1955.
This would not be the first time Tibetans would take part in an Indian election. More than 1500 Tibetans living in the state voted during the 2014 General Elections. Last year, Tibetans also cast their ballot during the Municipal Corporation Election.
More than 1450 Tibetan voters in Himachal Pradesh are expected to vote during state legislative assembly election, which will be held on Nov 9.
