IANS Story Misleading, Says ATPD Vice-Chair
Ms. Gyari Dolma |
Dharamsala, 23 July: After having spoken to reporters, misquotations, misrepresentations and misinterpretations are what everyone doesn’t want to see but fails. In 2001, protests and demonstrations against His Holiness the Dalai Lama were seen after a newspaper report misquoted the Tibetan leader who was speaking in Chennai. Last month, His Holiness’ “APPEAL” was changed by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) to “Dear Mr. Novak” – a reference to David Novak, chief executive of KFC’s parent company, Yum! Brands Inc. and a statement was issued saying that His Holiness the Dalai Lama had “dispatched a letter” to the company. Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche was misinterpreted in a report by a PTI (Press Trust of India) in Panipat. The exile administration’s spokesperson often is misrepresented. The latest in line of Tibetan leaders to fall prey to this journalistic backlash is the Vice-Chairperson of the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies.
An Indo Asian News Service (IANS) report dated 22 June by Jaideep Sarin reads, “…Rinpoche (the Kalon Tripa) also disagreed with a statement by the Vice Chairperson of the Assembly of Tibetan Deputies, Dolma Gyari, the sister of Dalai Lama’s special envoy Lodi Gyari, that Tibetans first need to get back to their homeland and the fight from within….” Rinpoche had told the reporter that “Dolma’s statement was not the official stand of the government in exile”.
Providing her clarifications on the report, Ms. Dolma said, ” In his report derived from the interview he had with the Kalon Tripa, Mr. Jaideep of IANS does not mention where he got the statement from. He just talks about the statement of Dolma Gyari.”
“I have never said anything like that to anyone and I have never met the IANS reporter nor talked to him over phone”.
Ms. Dolma has also sent a letter along with the copies of the emails she had recieved from the reporters of IANS and Hindustan Times to Mr. Pema Jungney, the Chairman of the assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies saying that she resolutely respects and follows His Holiness’ Middle Path Policy adopted by the Central Tibetan Administration after a unanimous resolution was passed in the assembly. And copies have been sent to the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Kashag, she added.
Ms. Dolma is the first Tibetan women to become the Vice Chairperson of the assembly.