Ladakh Buddhist Association writes to PM Modi; recommends Bharat Ratna for Dalai Lama

Ladakh Buddhist Association on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommending him to confer the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna, to the 14th Dalai Lama. The Ladakh Buddhist Association said that the revered monk is the "truest ambassador of peace and harmony" and has done an enormous amount of interfaith network throughout the world for fostering tolerance, altruism, love, compassion and religious harmony.

"As a holy goodwill ambassador of India, Dalai Lama has promoted India s a living example of the world’s greatest civilizations that has Ahimsa (non-violence) and Karuna (compassion) as guiding principles. His Holiness has immense contributions in creating goodwill for India in the last six decades and the citizens of the country also acknowledge this and maintain high regards to the Dalai Lama. He, therefore, truly deserves to be conferred the Bharat Ratna," the letter to PM Modi read.

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Here is the association's letter to PM Modi

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The offer to award Bharat Ratna to Dalai Lama has been considered at the highest levels of the government. A section within the Indian administration is in favour of considering the move, particularly in view of China’s ongoing aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. However, such a move by India would invite risk and trigger a strong response from China.

Earlier in July, BJP’s Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor had also urged the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna on the Dalai Lama and called for the freedom of Tibet from China. The highest civilian order will be the best gift from the Union government to the Tibetan spiritual leader on his 85th birthday (July 6, 2020), he said.

“It is a matter of great fortune for the people of the state, especially the people of my constituency, that the Dalai Lama, after the exile from Tibet, settled in McLeodganj,” he said.

Dalai Lama has been residing in India ever since he fled the Potala Palace in Lhasa in March 1959, to escape the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which had then occupied Tibet.

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Several voices seeking Bharat Ratna for Dalai Lama

The demand for conferring the Bharat Ratna on the Dalai Lama has been made by several people before. Shanta Kumar, a senior BJP leader and former CM of Himachal Pradesh, had in April 2019 submitted to the Union Government a letter signed by the MPs of several political parties, supporting the Bharat Ratna for the Dalai Lama. Former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao too had posted just days after the clash between Indian Army personnel and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley that he should be given the award.

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