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Journalism of Courage
The Union Home Ministry has asked the West Bengal Government to find out who were behind the construction of Tibetan monasteries in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. About 15 such monasteries have come up in the area in the recent years and the Government suspects that a lot of foreign money has been pumped into the projects.
On Wednesday,Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta met with West Bengal Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen in Delhi to discuss the issue. Senior officials of the state and Central Government,as well as officials of the Intelligence agencies,were present at the meeting.
Its a very unusual thing that so many Tibetan monasteries are coming up there. We are probing who is behind this and who is funding them because we suspect a lot of foreign funds are involved, a senior Home Department official told The Indian Express.
What comes as a matter of great concern for the Government is that north Bengal has been affected by the Gorkhaland and Kamtapuri movements and the area is becoming a safe haven for people inmical to the interests of India.
The Chinese Consulate too has expressed concern over the development. I dont want to say anything at this juncture. But I can say one thing if the monasteries are used for activities that are against the interests of China,we have problems. But if they are used only for religious activities,we have no problem, an official from the Chinese Consulate in Kolkata told The Indian Express.
Tibetans here are amused too. We do not know much about the monasteries in north Bengal. We dont have any interaction with those people, said Tenzing Palbar,an activist of Kolkata-based Students for Free Tibet.
