Dharamsala, Four years after he escaped to India, Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, viewed by many as the 17th Karmapa, has not been allowed by New Delhi to visit Sikkim’s Rumtek monastery, the seat of his Kagyu Buddhist sect. There is a dispute within the Kagyu sect, the richest among Tibetan exiles living in India, over who the real Karmapa is. This has prompted India to keep all claimants out of the monastery.
Also, Indian officials have not exactly bought the Karmapa’s version of how he escaped from Tibet, largely because he and the others who fled with him have given differing versions.
Some feel the Karmapa could be a Chinese plant, permitted to leave for India with the aim of taking over the Rumtek monastery.
The Karmama is the third most important Tibetan religious leader after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. The Chinese authorities have already installed their nominee as the Panchen Lama.
The Karmapa is currently lodged at the Gyatu monastery at Sidhbari, 10 km from here, under strict surveillance of Indian security agencies.
His movements have been restricted to the bare minimum.
For instance, he was not permitted to attend a recent global inter-faith conference despite being invited by a senior functionary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
He was not allowed to inaugurate a Tibetan school in Gopalpur in Himachal Pradesh in November. He has also been barred from the monastery at Bir where his mentor, Taishitu Rinpoche, lives.
Intelligence agencies became suspicious of the Karmapa’s intentions after his sister, Nogdup, went missing from here in July last year. She was later found in New Delhi.
Indian officials suspected she was headed for Rumtek, as was the Karmapa’s niece, who was found in Darjeeling and confessed that she was indeed on her way to the monastery.
Thubten Samphel, who heads the information department of the Tibetan government in exile here, refused to comment on the issue, saying the movements and security of the Karmapa were looked after by the Indian government.
Security around the Karmapa had been tight since he arrived here four years ago, Samphel added.
He has, however, been allowed to attend religious ceremonies in different parts of India. He has also visited Tibetan settlements in south India and has been to Bodh Gaya in Bihar where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
He may tour some monasteries in different parts of India in March.
