Guest post by DIBYESH ANAND
India prides itself for having a free and vibrant media. A recent story around Tibetan exile leader Karmapa lama has exposed the Indian media scene as closely resembling a chor bazaar. One where uninformed assertions, distorted facts, libelous statements, ad hominem attacks, and lazy analysis are recycled again and again to create a sensation.
The remarkable convergence in how the different channels and newspapers covered the story of police raids and findings of unaccounted foreign currencies at Karmapa’s temporary establishment near Dharamsala is conspicuous. In the media, the unaccounted money is however presented in salacious and sensationalist manner. Money is not the focus, the Karmapa’s alleged China connection is. A possible financial irregularity of $1.6 million is a non-story in India where scams, schemes and scandals of billions erupt with the regularity of tides. The story becomes one of Karmapa as a probable Chinese spy.
Karmapa is the third highest leader in Tibetan Buddhist world. Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje came into exile in 1999 at the age of 14, is the head og Kagyu sect, but often touted as a possible figure to lead the Tibetan people after the present Fourteenth Dalai Lama passes away.
There are too many holes in the story conjured up by the media relying mostly upon the unnamed sources. So many that one can question the editorial judgements in allowing these to be reported or aired. Let me point out to some of the glaring problems in the Karmapa story as reported by many Indian channels and newspapers.
First, why did Karmapa’s monastery have Indian and foreign currencies, including Chinese yuan, in cash? If Karmapa was indeed a ‘Chinese mole’, would the Chinese government be so stupid to send him ‘neatly stacked’ Chinese yuan to use in India? Did they think that Chinese yuan is so powerful that it can now be used in Dharamsala without raising any suspicion? Presence of so many types of foreign currencies point toward only one thing – Karmapa has followers and disciples all over the world. A simple online search by a journalist would have convinced her of the worldwide appeal of the Kagyu sect, including in the West, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China. As for the mystery of Chinese yuan, what do journalists expect the Tibetans from Tibet, who have a strong tradition of patronising the lamas, to give their donations in? Tibetans live under severe restrictions inside China. Are they expected to go to the Bank of China’s Lhasa branch and say that they need dollars or rupees to send donations to their religious leaders (most of whom live in India)? Since when did it become a crime for religious leaders in India to have followers inside China (and Tibet is inside China) but not in any other part of the world? Well-off Tibetans as well as Chinese followers of Tibetan lamas will often use cash to avoid any problems with the authorities in China. The possession of foreign currency in cash may have broken laws in India but it has nothing to with Karmapa’s character.
Second, Indian media keeps reporting that Karmapa may have been sent by China to take control of monasteries from Ladakh to Sikkim to Tawang. The addition of Tawang is the most glaring one here for it immediately raises concerns about security in the disputed area. Did any journalist bother to investigate what important monastery exists in Tawang that Karmapa could take over? There is no Kagyu monastery of significance in the region. Indian media seems completely ignorant about sectarian divisions within Tibetan Buddhism and shows no interest to appreciate the complexities of Tibetan Buddhist regions that belong to India.
Third, some media reported that Karmapa had to answer questions through an interpreter because he can speak ‘only Chinese’. This is another lazy assertion for not only does the Karmapa speak excellent Tibetan but broken English and is learning Korean and Japanese.
Surely good journalism is one where reports are verified, ‘facts’ presented by unnamed sources reconfirmed and taken with a critical distance, and all efforts are made not to damage personal reputation. Speculating in public about Karmapa being a Chinese spy is not only lazy journalism but a libelous attack on beliefs of millions of followers of Tibetan Buddhism. While the Dalai Lama may still harp on about Guru-Chela relations between Indians and Tibetans, this case of news sensationalism has questioned the cherished Indian myth of warm hospitality (what hospitality allows one to accuse the guest of being a spy?), exposed the Guru as irresponsible and ignorant, and harmed Indo-Tibetan relations. At the very least, the Indian media owes an apology to the Karmapa and the Tibetan community.
Dr Dibyesh Anand is an Associate Professor in International Relations at London’s Westminster University and the author of ‘Tibet: A Victim of Geopolitcs’.
KAFILA - COLLECTIVE EXPLORATIONS SINCE 2006 
Dr Anand,
It was well said. I really appreciate for clear, concise fact about H.H Ogyen Thinley Dorjee.
God Bless you Dr Anand
LikeLike
Indeed .. its all TRP for the media and Diversion for the Indian Scams that runs in Billions. The best bet for the Indian Politics is to use the RELIGION wand, and its just what they did.
Appreciate your editorial.
Good Karma
LikeLike
respected MR dibyesh, thank u so much for ur clearification n make the world knows the truth of our H.H.The karmapa..
god bless u with lots of success n happiness..
LikeLike
DEAR DR ANAND,
THIS IS INDEED AN BEAUTIFUL ARTICLE, ALL THE FALSE ALLEGATION ON HH THE 17TH KARMAPA WILL B PROVED WROND VERY SOON. THANKS FOR YR SUPPORT TOWARDS HH THE 17TH KARMAPA AND THE TIBETAN COMMUNITY
WISH U ALL THE BEST FOR EVERY GOOD THINGS U DO…
REGARDS
CHOEDAR
LikeLike
respected sir,
As you know,, today news channel are not same as before because lots of news channel are on the rat race and to increase their trp,,they have no limit that they won’t cross. As for us we are tibetan and we are indian too by heart ,..as for h.h the kamapa , the news channel absulutely go beyond their limit, knowing nothing,, if they are keen to what is crupting, they should watch on their own govt. system. As for gyalwa karmapa, he is innocent and we know it and don’t matter what the world is saying. We believe and he believe in himself, dont matter whats going on,,even in mahabarata krishna told that truth will trumph.. So lets see what tomorrow show us ,..nothing more to write ..but in next page ,, i will writ about the fake evedence system of media and cop,, till then thank you and bye
LikeLike
Well said about Hindu toilet papers( Indian news papers).160 million of dalits incuding Neo buddhist and 120 million of muslims do not give any shits to hindu toilet papers,even world communities knew about their reporting and intrest in political party.one of the Hindu national news papers is being edited by Rjya sabha MP who belong to Rt Wing hindu party.Al jazeera was not allowed to telecaste from delhi which has reputation in world for independent reporting.
LikeLike
Respected sir,
Thanks for bringing real news in front of world. As we all know, Gyalwa Karmapa came to india in 2000, since he has been studying in Dharamsala and also he is kind of house arrest in india, world largest democracy in the world. He is not allowed go visit his centers all over the world. State govt had given him a security for 10 years. He is under police survillence for 10 years. There is no way to work with chinese govt.
I think HP police might know day to day activities of Gyalwa Karmapa. Since HIs hloiness settled at Sudhbhari, thousand of tourist are coming to remote hill state to see Gyalwa Karmapa. He helps the economy of this local people and help state income too.
He is a lama. DO you know the meaning lama? He is also one of heart and soul of Tibet. We are against chinese rule in Tibet. He felt to india because he has no right to see his guru in india.
Hope indian politician will wake up some day. Last year, china occupied ladakh region, a village called Damchok. wakeup guys!
LikeLike
I come from a country where media used to be nothing but dogs for various witch-hunts conducted both by central and local governments. This commotion painfully reminded of the past of my own country. I very well know where Buddhism stands in today’s India but it should not forget much of the reverence it gets from most of other Asian countries, including Japan comes mainly from the fact that it’s home to the millenniums old traditions they had adopted either directly or indirectly from Indian cultures, key point of which is dharma.
Indian media didn’t reveal anything this time, and it won’t, but its ignorance and the lowest of lowness of its quality. I personally think that the main reason why they are bringing up less of this allegation for the past couple of days is not their self reflexions nor their sense discretion let along professionalism but simply because China, its ever-lasting fear, it seems, finally reacted. It’s such a ridicule to see how some of the most ferocious dogs are either shutting up or swiftly changing their stances in their own timid ways.
I highly doubt that the media has learned its lesson this time yet I cast a small hope now that I’ve read Dr. Dibyesh’s writings, which apparently found himself a diamond in this mud.
LikeLike
sir,
the economics of bad news, n the curiosity it generates, renders everything else non consequential.
the problem with dr. manmohan singh government has been that it does not provide enough fodder for masala news channel. also the print media.
therefore the media by n large because of trp rating looks to sensation, or at times sensationalizes uneccesarily.
they just end up hurting sentiments.
regards
madan
LikeLike