63rd anniversary of Tibetan Government-in-Exile: The uncertain future of world's roof

Today, 2nd September, marks the 63rd anniversary of the inception of the Tibetan democratic system in exile, called in Tibetan as ‘Mangsto Duchen’. It is the day when the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (TGiE) in Dharamshala, in Himachal Pradesh, India, came into being. This is now known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). It is through the XIV Dalai Lama’s initiation of a detailed programme of a democratic system outlined at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India, that the Tibetan parliament directly elected by the Tibetan people came to be established in 1960, and the Tibetan democratisation process started. The promulgation of the 1963 Tibetan Constitution is a manifestation of the democratic goal post-transformation of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) into a genuine law-making body. However, it was only in the 1990s that the Tibetan community entered into its current phase of democratic reform with the approval of the 1991 Charter for Tibetan Exiles by the XIV Dalai Lama that declared that the TGiE is an “entity having its basis in a fundamental legal document and which was in keeping with modern democratic system.” Pertinently, the nature of the polity of future Tibet and the Tibetans in exile is governed by the principle of peace and non-violence based on freedom, social welfare, the coexistence of religion and politics, democracy, and self-government. The CTA witnessed further democratisation in 2001 when the Tibetan community directly-elected Kalon Tripa (Chairman of the Cabinet) of the CTA for the first time. Kalon Tripa appointed his cabinet following the approval of the TPiE. Democratisation process of the Tibetan community saw its birth in exile, with the leadership of the XIV Dalai Lama to be credited as the driving force. It is through this democratic process that the Tibetan community has not only worked towards reforms in its political system but also towards a solution to the Tibetan issue that started with the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1951. Following exile in Dharamshala, the XIV Dalai Lama led as both the political and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people via the establishment of the CTA. Here, he repudiated the controversial ‘Seventeen-Point’ Agreement, claiming it to be enforced by Communist China on the Tibetan government, which was forced to sign it under duress. Living in exile, the XIV Dalai Lama assumed global significance through his untiring appeal to the United Nations for a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue and the rightful liberation of Tibetans living in exile. In 2011, the XIV Dalai Lama announced his political retirement by devolving his political authority to the elected leadership of the CTA. Today, the CTA, with its headquarters in Dharamshala, is the political representation of the Tibetan population that functions as the platform to rehabilitate and advance the Tibetan community in exile. The 1991 Charter introduced the three pillars of democracy to the Tibetan community: the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE), the highest legislative body of the CTA elected democratically and popularly; the Executive with Cabinet (known as Kashag) as its apex body; and the Judiciary (known as Tibetan Supreme Judiciary Commission). The TPiE comprises 45 members – 10 representatives from each of the traditional provinces of Tibet, U-Tsang, Dhotoe, and Dhomey; two from each of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism; two representing each of the Tibetan communities in North America and Europe; and one each from Australia and Asia (excluding India, Nepal, and Bhutan). The TPiE is mandated to hold sessions twice a year. Since the XIV Dalai Lama’s political retirement, the name of the position of Kalon Tripa was changed to Sikyong (equivalent of President), otherwise known as the Tibetan political leader. The Kashag (Cabinet) is directly elected by the exile community every five years. Under his leadership, the CTA functions through seven central departments: Religion and Culture, Home, Finance, Security, Education, Health, and Information and International Relations. Besides the three main organs of the CTA, there are three autonomous entities within the CTA – an independent Election Commission that oversees free and fair elections; a Public Service Commission, entrusted with the duty of recruitment, training, and appointment of CTA civil servants; and the Office of Auditor General responsible for auditing and scrutinising the financial management of all CTA organisations. The CTA has branch offices in every Tibetan settlement across India and abroad. The three peace initiatives of the XIV Dalai Lama are significant to comprehend CTA’s relentless struggle for the liberation of Tibet, the internationalisation of the Tibetan cause, and what constitutes CTA’s core approach to resolving the Tibetan issue. These approaches are, namely, the Five Point Peace Plan (1987), the Strasbourg Proposal (1988), and the Memorandum of Genuine Autonomy (2008); the last one seeking a middle-way approach or “meaningful autonomy”, that is, resorting peace, harmony, and autonomy (territorial, religious, cultural) of Tibet while being part of Communist China. The significance of these resolutions is the deviation from an earlier position on the Tibetan issue, which was complete independence, to autonomy under Communist China. Through this ‘middle-way approach’, the TGiE has further attempted democratic reforms to put itself in a more favourable position in the international community and to garner support for the Tibetan cause while at the same time exporting Tibetan Buddhism worldwide through the spiritual leadership and the international recognition of the XIV Dalai Lama. The CTA’s aim to resolve the Tibetan issue in a non-violent, peaceful, democratic way, as reflected in its nature of polity, has further boosted the CTA’s efforts in seeking active intervention by the international community over the years. The democratic reforms undertaken by the CTA were also reflected in the latest 2021 election that elected Penpa Tsering as the new Sikyong. The efforts to reduce regional and religious partisanship among the Tibetan community were witnessed as Tibetan NGOs and regional associations were barred from endorsing any candidates in this election—instead, the 2021 election aimed to uphold Tibetan unity in its election campaigning and vetting process. Tibetan Government-in-Exile, however, is faced with challenges in its experiments with democracy while being in exile. Pertinently, China does not recognise the TGiE and has held no dialogues with the representatives of the CTA or the XIV Dalai Lama since 2010. Despite the multiple appeals and approaches the XIV Dalai Lama and CTA representatives sought to enter into peaceful dialogue and negotiations with China, the latter continued with its occupation of Tibet and outright rejection of the XIV Dalai Lama’s legitimacy as Tibetan Buddhist people’s highest spiritual leader. Moreover, TGiE is not officially recognised by any country, including India, where its administration is based, and hosts approximately 85,000 Tibetan exiles. However, non-recognition does not mean non-engagement, as representatives of many countries, including India, directly deal with the Sikyong and other leaders of the TGiE through various fora. The Sino-India tensions, escalating since 2020 along the Tibetan border, further added to the challenges the exiled Tibetan community faced. Lobsang Sangay, the two-time Sikyong of the CTA between 2012 and 2021, maintained that a peaceful resolution of the Tibetan issue would automatically solve the Sino-Indian border dispute. One of the issues concerning Tibetan Buddhism among exiled Tibetans is the Dolgyal (Shugen) propitiation, perceived as a ‘fierce spirit’ by the XIV Dalai Lama, creating sectarianism in the Tibetan community. The Dolgyal propitiators, organised by the International Shugden Community (ISC), whose directors are senior teachers and members of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), are believed by the CTA to have disregard for the spiritual and political interests of the Tibetans-in-exile. The CTA also believes that the ISC acts as a political tool of the Chinese Communist Party, which provides them with monetary and material incentives to carry out disinformation campaigns to damage the Tibetan cause and slander the international image of the XIV Dalai Lama. Resolutions were unanimously passed in the TPiE in 1996 and 2014, as well as in Kashag (Cabinet of the TGiE) in 1996, as efforts to check the Dolgyal issue, aiming to “lead the ignorant to the righteous path”. The most significant concern, however, is Tibet’s political future. Independence and autonomy divisions persist within the exiled Tibetan community, with the former group challenging the ‘middle-way approach’ or meaningful autonomy for all Tibetans proposed since 1988, which is the official position of the TGiE. However, through dialogues between both groups, efforts have been made to understand each other’s position, aiming for larger unity among the Tibetan exiled community and TGiE’s goal of finding a solution for genuine Tibetan self-governance. The main concern before the exiled Tibetan community is the post-Dalai Lama future of the Tibetan issue, especially when the democratic process is evolving in the TGiE. It’s important to note that a community that did not have a tradition of participatory democracy earlier, TGiE now represents a unique model that shows that the democratic process and the struggle for freedom can go hand-in-hand. Also, the non-violent, peaceful, ‘middle-way’ approach endorsed by the TGiE has been successful in realising its efforts at the democratic process, notwithstanding the pertinent challenges that continue at present. The writer is the chairman of New Delhi-based think-tank Law and Society Alliance. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.