Saturday, February 5, 2011

Cease character assassination of the Karmapa, his office appeals to media

GANGTOK, 05 Feb: Those who have been following the Karmapa affair would have noted, definitely with some consternation, the street-corner gossip which appears to be informing not only reportage in the media, but also influencing the government machinery.
Every since Himachal Pradesh police tom-tommed as “unexplained”, its recovery of donations in cash from the Karmapa’s office at Gyuto Monastery at Sidhbari, frequent aspersions have been cast on the Karmapa, with the concerned agencies allowing reports suggesting that the GoI suspected him of being a Chinese agent to continue unchallenged.
More recently, officials in Himachal Pradesh have “shared” more information on how the Karmapa has displayed pro-China tendencies when he was in Tibet. The Karmapa fled Tibet a decade ago when he was barely a teen.
Only the most poorly trained and insensitive of security/ police officials can find the gumption to pick out incidents from a person’s conduct when barely 12 to 14 years old to accuse him of an ideological stand when he is a mature youth of 26 [the Karmapa’s age now]. The authorities in Himachal are and central agencies are keeping busy with just such a game, with the media at large offering itself up as willing hand maiden to such mindlessness.
Thankfully, the Karmapa’s office of administration has also become quicker and clearer in releasing its side of the story as well.
The Karmapa’s office, in a statement issued late last evening, has “firmly” denied “published allegations that His Holiness the Karmapa has rallied in support of the communist Chinese government”. The statement stressed that the Karmapa fled the oppression of communist China eleven years ago and that “the preposterous claim that His Holiness is a Chinese spy or agent is a complete fabrication, utterly baseless and reckless slander”.
“The Karmapa Office of Administration appeals to the press to cease its character assassination of His Holiness the Karmapa, one of the most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism, and a spiritual leader to Buddhists worldwide.
The Karmapa Office of Administration respectfully requests the press to refrain from publishing further uncorroborated and unfounded charges,” the statement adds while releasing details of the Office’s spokesperson, “beseeching” the press to seek confirmation or denial from them, “in accord with the standards of responsible journalism.”
The details of spokespersons, Karmapa Office of Administration:
Karma Topden, Former Indian Ambassador to Mongolia, Former Member of Parliament, Adviser to Karmapa Office of Administration
Deki Chungyalpa, Adviser to Karmapa Office of Administration
koapress@gmail.com; (91) 8894 502 910

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