An Examination of Tibetan Statelessness and Citizenship in India

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has failed to reconcile with the unlikelihood of Tibetan independence. Thus, this failure to recognize the changed political landscape means the CTA still operates under the same goals implemented over 60 years ago when the “Tibet issue” was considered temporary. This is problematic because the CTA still designs policies according to these goals to address modern day issues. One particular policy that has had serious political and legal ramifications for Tibetan exiles living in India is the CTA’s active opposition of Indian naturalization. Statelessness has left Tibetans in India vulnerable to the political tides and sways of India. Therefore, I recommend a reevaluation of the CTA’s goals and policies towards citizenship as well as the incorporation of more governmental transparency.