New Delhi: India is ready to give a visa to Ogyen Trinley Dorje, one of the two claimants for the title of the 17th Karmapa Lama, but noted that there continues to be a level of distrust due to the Tibetan leader not apparently informing New Delhi about acquiring a foreign passport.
The Karmapa Lama is viewed as the second most important Tibetan spiritual leader after the Dalai Lama. So the controversy is seen as highly sensitive with repercussions for Indian national interests.
The stand-off between Dorje, who has been living abroad for over a year and the Indian government, has acquired a serious garb after he acquired a passport from the Commonwealth of Dominica, a Caribbean island nation.
Sources said on Thursday that India had “conveyed” to Dorje that India “can give a visa on his Dominica passport”.
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The travel document was specified, as there were conflicting reports that Dorje would have to travel first to India on the identity certificate. There had been claims from sources close to the Tibetan leader that the identity certificate, which is given to Tibetan refugees to travel abroad, could only be surrendered in India.
However, sources noted that the first page of the identity certificate said that the document became automatically invalid once the bearer acquired a foreign passport.
“He is free to come to India. He is free to come on a Dominica passport,” said sources.
India has given instructions to Indian missions in the United States to grant visa to the Tibetan leader. But the first step has to be taken by Dorje, sources insisted. “Despite all the reports, he has not even applied for visa till now.”
The type of the visa will be the sovereign decision of the Indian government and will not be a matter of negotiation, they added.
The Indian government is also miffed that Dorje did not inform New Delhi about his new passport which was obtained in March 2018.
“He doesn’t necessarily have to tell us. But, in good faith, he ought to have informed as he is to an extent our guest,” said sources.
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Incidentally, in a talk in Canada which was reported on his official website, Dorje said that he had informed “Indian Government, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the Central Tibetan Administration of his change in status” after getting the new passport in March 2018.
However, it was not clear if the information was conveyed immediately after acquiring the new passport.
He claimed to have wanted to return in June this year. “However, due to his change in status, he now needs a visa and has been waiting for the Indian Government to grant him one,” said the report.
The Tibetan leader said that he had to be remain abroad for over 18 months “partly because of health issues, but also because of problems that arose and the consequent stress he was under”.