Darjeeling’s Gyari Dolma, 56, who earlier served as the home minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, is vying to be the Sikyong (President) or the political leader of the exiled government, a responsibility that was discharged by His Holiness Dalai Lama until 2011.

If Dolma does go on to win the election, it would be a historic moment as a woman has never been elected a “political leader” of the Tibetan government, hence the community.

The two-phase “worldwide” election is slated on January 3 and April 11, 2021, and Dolma is the only women candidate for the highest post of the Kashag (cabinet), the apex executive body of the exiled government based in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

The 1.5 lakh-odd Tibetan diaspora scattered across as many as 30 countries will on January 3 will write the names of people they would want to see as President. The present President of the exiled government is Lopsang Sangay, a Harvard Law School alumnus, also from Darjeeling.

“I feel I am fit to handle this responsibility,” Dolma said, adding that her decision to contest was prompted by her desire to strengthen the democratic process initiated by His Holiness, utilise her experience – she has served as deputy speaker of the parliament for three terms apart from being the home minister — and make way for a woman leader for the Tibetan community.

“As women, we have equal rights according to the Tibetan charter and being a woman who has served as deputy speaker, I feel it is my duty towards Tibetan woman today and for the future that I come forward to contest,” she said.

Born to a Tibetan refugee family in Kalimpong that settled in Darjeeling, Dolma spent her schooling days in this hill station at Central School for Tibetans. Her family ran a restaurant in Darjeeling. Dolma pursed her graduation from Punjab University and obtained a law degree from Delhi University. An activist for the community, Dolma was elected to the exiled Tibet parliament at age 26.

A community member said anyone can propose their name. “Technically there can be thousands of candidates but this is not how it works. So far eight names are doing the rounds.”

Two candidates who get the most endorsements will face each other in the final round of the April polls. Then, the Sikyong in turn will nominate six others for the Tibetan cabinet. A similar process will elect the 45-member Tibetan parliament. Thus, two ballot papers — one for President and the other for Tibetan MPs — will be cast on the two voting days.

Dolma is currently touring the region to campaign.

Expressing deep gratitude to India, Dolma said that the future of Tibet and India was interlinked. She hoped India would take a proactive political decision regarding Tibet. She ideally wants the Indian Parliament to recognise Tibet as “an occupied nation”, she said.