Bharat Ratna for Dalai Lama? All-party MPs write to Centre

In a show of support for the Tibetan cause , an all-party forum wrote a letter to the Centre, urging the government to confer the prestigious Bharat Ratna to Tibet’s spiritual leader Dalai Lama . The group also urged the government to allow him to address a joint session at the Indian parliament, a move that can draw wrath from China .

According to The Economic Times, the letter was written by the all-party Indian parliamentary forum for Tibet, which includes MPs from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Janata Dal (United), etc. The group sent out a request to the government after they adopted a resolution for the same during their second meeting this month.

In the past, the group has garnered sharp criticism from Beijing following its inaugural sitting in December last year. The forum is led by BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sujeeth Kumar and comprises 10 MPs. In a bid to award the Dalai Lama, the highest civilian award in India, the Indian politicians launched a signature campaign, supporting the cause.

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“We have initiated a signature campaign to award Bharat Ratna to His Holiness Dalai Lama. Many MPs have come forward, and some of them have sent video messages supporting the campaign. We will be writing to the Speaker of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to convene a joint sitting, which will be addressed by His Holiness,” Kumar, who is also the convenor of the group, told The Economic Times.

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Members of the forum supporting the Tibetan cause include BJP MPs Ashok Bajpai, Lahar Singh Siroya, Vinay Dinu Tendulkar, Tapir Gao and Rajendra Agrawal. Recently, the group has also strongly opposed China’s interference in determining the successor of the Tibetan leader.

They argued that the people of Tibet alone have the right to decide on the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama. Taking the campaign one step further, Arunachal Pradesh MP Tapir Gao proposed a mass rally in support of Tibet to raise public awareness about China’s aggression.

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“He further suggested that the Dalai Lama address the Central Hall of the Parliament on topics such as peace and compassion,” stated the resolution. In the letter, the forum also lauded the passing of a recent pro-Tibetan bill by the US Congress and urged that something of this sort should be introduced in the Indian parliament as well.

During the meeting, the members also discussed the implementation of the 2014 Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy, urging fellow MPs to visit Tibetan settlements and press local administrations for basic amenities, The Economic Times reported.

“We have requested all the MPs to reach out to the district administration and respective state governments so that land and amenities such as roads, electrification and drinking water are ensured for Tibetan rehabilitation,” Kumar furthered.

As per the aforementioned policy, state governments are required to lease land occupied by Tibetan refugees for 20 years, issue rent tenancy certificates, and ensure welfare benefits and infrastructure support for the refugees.

“The land under the occupation by the Tibetan refugees should not be disturbed, and welfare benefits of state government schemes should be extended to them. The state authorities have been advised to extend the infrastructural facilities and basic amenities like roads, electrification, and drinking water schemes in or around the Tibetan settlements,” the home ministry’s directive noted. China has yet to react to the recent move.