tibet

Tibetans vote in Indian general elections

Phayul[Wednesday, May 07, 2014 19:28]

By Phuntsok Yangchen Tibetans vote in the Indian general elections for the first time in 55 years/May 7, 2014/Phayul Photo/Kunsang Gashon DHARAMSHALA, May 7: More than one thousand five hundred Tibetans living in Himachal Pradesh today cast their votes in the Indian general elections for the four Lok Sabha seats of the state. Two hundred and twenty-seven Tibetans from Baijnath, 167 from Bhagsu, 5 from Forsyth Ganj and remaining from various parts of the state have been registered to vote. 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. The EC’s decision to grant voting rights to Tibetans follows an August 2013 Karnataka High Court ruling that paved the way for granting Indian citizenship to Tibetan refugees born in India. However, there has been a mixed response from the Tibetans in exile. While some appreciate EC’s order and have asserted for their voting rights, others believe it would dilute the Tibetan movement. Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan writer and activist, told the Indian Express, “It was very kind of the Indian government to initiate this move, but for us, going back to our motherland is more important. If we become Indian voters, we have to relinquish our RCs, which is why most of us have not opted for this. If we relinquish our RCs, we are no longer Tibetans and can never give up our moral and legal rights to Tibet.” Lobsang Wangyal, a first time voter, did not quite agree. He said there is no loss for Tibetans to vote in the Indian general elections. “I am a Tibetan dissident and I know my roots. I was born in India but know my roots. Whatever I have been capable of doing, I have been putting all my efforts in my aspirations and goals for the Tibetan cause. Tibetans will be united and will remain united as we have been now,” said Wangyal. He further said that following the voting rights to Tibetans, Indian politicians now give more importance to the Tibetans and Tibetans voices will be heard. Meanwhile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) maintains that it has not objected to anyone seeking Indian citizenship or voting rights. “The decision to apply for Indian or any other country’s citizenship is a personal choice. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1955 grants citizenship rights to Tibetans born in India between 1950 and 1987; and to those born after 1987 if ‘either of whose parents is a citizen of India at the time of his/her birth’. CTA cannot prevent any Tibetan from applying for Indian citizenship,” the Tibetan PM Lobsang Sangay had said earlier. Jyotsna George, an Indian activist in the Tibetan movement said, “I think being able to vote opens up another arena to raise Tibetans’ political aspirations with the Indian leadership. Now Tibetans can directly lobby their representatives to take a more firm stand on the crisis unfolding in Tibet.