(TibetanReview.net, Feb05, 2017) – The Dharamshala Municipal Corporation has been made a bit more inclusive with the nomination of the town’s Tibetan Welfare Officer as a councilor in it. The Welfare Officer, Mr Dawa Rinchen, was appointed to the post by the Himachal Pradesh State Government’s Department of Urban Development through a letter he received on Feb 2.
The Dharamshala Municipal Corporation has 17 Councilors elected by residents from different wards and five nominated Councilors.
“The spokesperson of HP Government said that as a large number of Tibetan refugees are residing in Mcleodganj and other areas of MC Dharamshala, the inclusion of Dawa in Corporation will help the community,” reported HimVani.com Feb 2.
Tibetans born in India before Jul 1987 and their children are entitled to be registered as voters following an order by the Election Commission of India in Feb 2014 which based its decision on a High Court ruling. However, while being entitled to vote, they are still not recognized as citizens and have to register as foreigners allowed to live in the country on temporary basis on humanitarian ground upon reaching the age of 16.
Dharamshala is home to about 10,000 Tibetans, although only a few hundred have registered as voters.