Tibetan muslims who arrived into exile after His Holiness the Dalai Lama fled into India and settled in Kashmir region of India. There by the Tibetan muslims flourished in the valley and have secured the citizenship of India. In an interview report published by Tibet Express, an interviewee Tibetan muslim expressed their hope for a reserved seat for Tibetan muslims in the exile Tibetan parliament.
According to the interview, around 140 Tibetan muslims first moved to the Kashmir valley and they have survived to around 2200 people today. They have expressed their gratitude towards the Dalai Lama for asking the local government to provide better settlement areas during his earlier visits to their places.
The journalist Chonyi Woeser speaks to the three representatives of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Tibetan muslims who have come from Kashmir to attend the NGO’s conference in Dharamshala. Even though the Regional TYC was established in the year 1995, it could not survive well. They have revived the regional chapter of the Tibetan NGO and even took part in the conference. In his opinion, they speak in pure Utsang dialect of Tibetan language.
Abdul, one of the participants who was born in Lhasa and arrived to Kashmir in 1995 explains that they have been facing the dilemma in approaching the Tibetan Administration or the Indian government for their grievances. However, he explains that they are mostly related to the Tibetan Administration and they have been speaking with the Tibetan MPs during their visits to their community.
He said that the Tibetan muslims have suggested for the election of a member of parliament for Tibetan Parliament in Exile from their community and he absolutely stands in that support. “If we have a representative in the Tibetan parliament, it would be more comfortable to relate our grievances.” said Abdul “We do not have a legitimate leader to bridge the relationship with either the Indian government or the Tibetan Administration.
The Tibetan Parliament in Exile entertains two seats each for the Bon community and the four sects of the Tibetan Buddhism. This existing reservation in the Tibetan parliament is a strong hope for the possibility of the Tibetan muslims’ hopes to come true.