Sikkim: SIBLAC urges talks to bring Karmapa back to Rumtek

The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) has asked the state government to open high-level talks at once to bring the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, back to Rumtek Monastery, saying his ongoing visit to Bhutan offers a rare opening, PTI reported on Saturday.

The demand

In a press statement, SIBLAC general secretary Sangay Gyatso Bhutia reminded the government that bringing the Karmapa to his traditional seat at Rumtek was an election promise, and said it should be treated as a top priority.

The Karmapa arrived in Bhutan on 29 October for a 10-day visit to lead prayers and give public audiences. SIBLAC wants the government to begin formal engagement with him and the relevant authorities so that he can travel to Rumtek before that visit ends.

The committee also questioned what happened to an earlier initiative. It said an official notification had reportedly set aside about Rs 1.5 crore to send a high-level delegation to facilitate his return, but there had been no public word on the outcome or on how the money was used. "A broken promise on a matter of such profound spiritual and cultural heritage will not be forgotten," the statement said.

The state government has not publicly responded to the statement.

Why Rumtek matters

Rumtek, about 24 km from Gangtok, is the main seat in exile of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. It was built by the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, after he left Tibet in 1959. SIBLAC said the Karmapa's throne at Rumtek has been vacant for 45 years since the 16th Karmapa died on 5 November 1981.

Ogyen Trinley Dorje fled Tibet to India in 2000 and lived for years at Gyuto Monastery near Dharamshala. He has not been allowed to visit Rumtek, and his access has been shaped by security and diplomatic considerations, as well as a long dispute over the Karmapa title and control of the monastery. SIBLAC noted he has not returned to the Indian subcontinent since leaving India on a temporary visa in May 2017.

A long-running cause in Sikkim

Bringing the Karmapa to Rumtek has been a demand of Buddhist groups and successive governments in Sikkim for decades. Supporters say many elders who campaigned for it have died without seeing it happen.

The 45th anniversary of the 16th Karmapa's death falls on 5 November, during the Bhutan visit, which is likely to keep the issue in focus over the coming days.