The Indian police has issued a directive to some of Tibetan settlement offices which informs Tibetans holding Indian voter IDs to return their refugee Registration Certificates (RC) for security reasons. The notice informs Tibetans who are holding voter IDs need to return their RCs within a period of one month.
According to a report in the radio of Voice of Tibet, the office of Superintendent of Police, Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh has issued a circular to the Tibetan Settlement offices in Dharamshala, Bir Tibetan Settlements and several others to take the responsibility in the return of RCs from those Tibetans who are also holding India’s voter IDs.
The letter told that Tibetans holding the refugee Registration Certificates are considered as foreigners and them possessing the Indian voter cards are causing security conflicts. Therefore, the Tibetans are being directed to surrender their RCs within a period of one month.
It is also reported that there almost a 1000 Tibetans registered with the Voter ID cards from the state and during the recently concluded assembly elections 296 Tibetans have voted. The circular is reported to have sent on the 3rd of this month, i.e., February 3, 2018.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had directed to issue Indian citizenship to all Tibetans born on India between 26/01/1950 to 01/07/1987, and consequent children born to these Tibetans following a court ruling last year. Though there has been a mixed reaction in the Tibetan community, the MEA later directed that those Tibetans taking Indian citizenship need to give up their provisions as refugees too.
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