India Upgrades Dalai Lama’s Security to Z-category
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 14, Feb: India has upgraded the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s security to Z-category following intelligence threats assessments according to multiple news reports.
The Indian Union Ministry of Home on Thursday granted Z-category security to the Dalai lama after a threat assessment report by the Intelligence Bureau, media reports said, citing officials familiar with the development.
The Tibetan Spiritual leader, who was previously under the protection of the Himachal Pradesh Government, will now have the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India’s largest paramilitary force, take charge of his security anywhere he travels in India.
The upgraded security arrangement will provide a total of 33 security personnel protecting the spiritual leader round-the-clock, including armed static guards stationed at his residence in Dharamsala(HP) and commandos forming an armed escort in shifts.
According to the Hindustan Times, an officer under anonymity said that a detailed security audit is being carried out by the CRPF for the task before the takeover which will be completed soon.
Intelligence reports over the years have pointed to various threats to the life of the Dalai lama from various sources, including China-backed groups.
As the 89-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader turns 90 this July, the much-anticipated issue of selecting his next reincarnations has sparked heightened geopolitical tension in the larger International Politics, particularly in the South Asian Nations which border occupied Tibet under China’s Colonial rule.
The upgrade of the Dalai Lama’s security by the Indian Government reflects its proactive approach to securing high-profile individuals, especially the Dalai lama, who has remained one of the focal points in relations between India and China since 1959 when the Dalai lama sought asylum in India, following the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Z security is the third highest level of protection provided by the Indian Government to prominent individuals based on threat perceptions. The security is assigned to members of the Indo-Tibetan Police, CRPf, and even the Delhi police.
