Candlelight procession in Karmapa’s support

DHARAMSALA - Hundreds of Tibetans and foreigners took out a candlelight procession here Sunday evening to express solidarity with the spiritual head of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who is in controversy after a large amount of unaccounted money was recovered from him.

Nearly Rs.70 million worth of unaccounted foreign and Indian currency recovered from the premises of the Gyuto Tantric University and Monastery near here that the Karmapa is heading.

“The Karmapa is not a Chinese spy. He is a revered monk,” one of the participants said. She said allegations made against the Karmapa were baseless.

Tibetan activist Tenzin Tsundue said the Tibetan people across the world are deeply hurt by the baseless allegations of Karmapa’s Chinese links.

According to him, he has been living in exile receiving his traditional Buddhist education.

The Tibetan NGOs like the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA), the Gu Chu Sum Movement of Tibet, the National Democratic Party of Tibet, and the Students for a Free Tibet also came out in support of the Karmapa.

A police team, led by Una’s Additional Superintendent of Police K.G.Kapoor, arrived Sunday noon at the monastery near here to question the Karmapa about the recovery of unaccounted foreign and Indian currency from his premises. He was quizzed Friday as well.

The Karmapa’s sister and other close aides were also being questioned, officials said.

Police believe the money was meant for some “illegal” land deal in Dharamsala in Kangra district with the involvement of the Karmapa’s aide Rubgi Chosang, also known as Shakti Lama. He is now in police custody.

Soon after the Karmapa was questioned, a spokesperson for the Tibetan religious leader denied allegations against him, stressing he was not a Chinese agent.

“The Karmapa has not done anything wrong to undermine and harm the interests of India,” Karma Topden, the spokesperson, told reporters.