The spokesperson of Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamshala, Mr. Sonam Norbu Dagpo in a statement clarified that the CTA President has the highest reverence to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and there is no room any differences, in response to a misleading report in an online portal called Southasian Monitor on November 27.
‘Differences between Dalai Lama and CTA president put Tibetan politics in a tailspin” (November 27) read here by Rajeev Sharma, published on Southasian.Monitor, according to clarification article, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) finds the article not only a misrepresentation of facts but highly misleading and done with an ulterior motive to malign His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s image and also to delegitimize the CTA leadership.
The article also explained that author premises the entire article on an assumption that the postponement of ‘13th Religious Conference of the Schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Tradition’ is an offshoot of “serious differences between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and CTA President.
The following is the complete clarification statement from the CTA spokesperson as published in the official website of Central Tibetan Administration on Wednesday:
“The Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration, on November 24, 2018 announced that the ‘13th Religious Conference of the Schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Tradition’ scheduled to take place from 29 November to 1 December this year in Dharamshala has been indefinitely postponed.
The Department categorically cited the sudden demise of the supreme head of the Nyingma tradition, Kathok Getse Rinpoche, who passed away on November 19 this year, in Nepal, and in respecting the sentiments of the followers of Nyingma tradition, as the reason.
Likewise, on November 25 this year, upon his return from Japan, responding to questions from the press at Gaggal airport, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that holding the conference despite the passing of the “very high lama,” the head of Nyingma tradition, the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism as “inappropriate.”
Rajeev has mentioned in his article “a telephonic conversation between the Dalai Lama and Sangay in this regard on November 22 when the former was in Japan.”
As per protocol CTA President always briefs His Holiness in person. CTA President has the highest reverence for His Holiness and there is no room for any “differences” between His Holiness and CTA President.
The same author has in the recent past published articles; ‘The Dalai Lama has chosen his successor’ (September 26, 2018) read here and ‘Dalai Lama wants to return to Tibet but China no longer keen to play ball,’ (November 14, 2018) read here, both of which are published on Southasian.Monitor. He had also published a disturbing article; ‘The Dalai Lama is terminally ill, sources say,” (June 11, 2018) read here published on The Quint. The contents of the articles are untrue and a piece of unfounded speculation.
Retraction and publication of clarification:
Therefore the publication of a series of misleading reports by Rajeev Sharma, that lack substantial proof, are ill intentioned and target the institution of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the CTA leadership.
In light of the clarification provided, we require a retraction of Rajeev Sharma’s November 27 article published on Southasian.Monitor read here, and appreciate the publication of our clarification.”