Dharamshala: - India based Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest non-governmental organisation in exile faces a growing crisis from its eight regional chappters of major Tibetan settlements, including Bylakuppe, the largest Tibetan settlement in India after pursuing unsuccessful amendment suggests in an attempt to change the aims and objectives of the organisation.
In a statement, the group said, "members unanimously passed a set of resolutions pertaining to the recent situation within the organization at the 45th Working Committee Meeting (WCM) of Tibetan Youth Congress which was held in Gangtok Sikkim from Aug 11 – 16 ."
'Eight regional chapters of Bylakuppe, Kollegal, Hunsur, Mungod, Bangalore, Pondoh, Dalhousie and Ladakh(Leh) wanted TYC to change its aims and objectives during General Body Meeting of TYC held in Dharamshala last year,' the group said in the statement, adding however that "Majority of the TYC chapters present at the last year meeting voted that TYC's aims should remain the same and therefore there was no change in TYC's charter."
The statement said: "As a result these eight chapters walked out of the General Body Meeting on the third day and have since then adopted measures that have shown clear disrespect to the rules and regulations of this organization including making new TYC identity cards and changing the names of their chapter- for example Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Bylakuppe is now Tibetan Youth Congress Bylakuppe (note the removal of Regional)."
"They have also amended the aims and objectives of the organization as per their demands. We denounce these actions and view them as being totally undemocratic and unreasonable. In a democratic institution, there will be different views and opinions but one must respect the rules and regulations of the organization and decisions made by the majority. If one is not satisfied with the result, he or she is free to leave the organization. TYC does not hold any individual to be obliged to the organization," it stressed.
"A new set of board members were elected at the last year GBM in Dharamshala and it has been over a year since the new board took in charge of TYC headquarters based in Dharamshala. During this one-year period, TYC Centrex have reached out to the eight chapters through letters, phone calls, emails and tried all means to engage them to a dialogue," the statement further says.
The group said it's "executives also travelled to each of the respective chapters to meet with the members but were completely shut down in some regions. Another effort to reach out was made by inviting the eight chapters to the TYC 45th WCM meeting in Gangtok. A special session for them was allocated at this meeting, but that invitation was also denied."
"The 45th WCM has unanimously decided that board members of those chapters that engaged in divisive and disruptive acts have caused immense detriment to the unity of our organization and more importantly our struggle," it added.
"Thus a resolution has been unanimously passed stating that from this meeting onwards, the board members of the eight chapters who participated in violation of organistation's rules and regulations will not be recognized as it's members. Some of the chapters among those eight have recently elected new board members," the group added, saying "they will continue to engage with the new members to resolve this matter and the 45th WCM has given TYC Centrex the full authority to purse whatever action we deem necessary in the interest of our organization as we move forward."
