'Stronger message to China if you met', says Owaisi on PM's birthday wishes to Dalai Lama

As PM Modi wished the Dalai Lama on his birthday, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday, mused that it would have sent a stronger message to China had the PM visited the 84-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader. The Prime Minister had spoken to the Dalai Lama on the phone to convey his greetings on his birthday. Besides PM Modi, other political leaders including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur too wished the Tibetan guru.

Owaisi opines on 'China angle' in PM's wishes to Dalai Lama

Owaisi's nudge to China comes amid strained ties between the two neighbouring countries after the faceoff at Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in June 2020. 20 Indian Army soldiers including India's colonel Santosh Babu and two jawans were attacked by Chinese Army personnel with iron rods while removing a tent put up by China at patrol point 14, leading to hand-to-hand combat. While three soldiers were killed in action, 17 others succumbed to their injuries and hypothermia. After 9 rounds of India-China talks, disengagement by India and the Chinese army at South Pangong Tso area began in February. 

Dalai Lama's address

The Tibetan spiritual leader who has been residing in Dharamsala since his expulsion from China in 1959, addressed his followers virtually on Tuesday. “Since I became a refugee and settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India's freedom and religious harmony. I want to assure you that for the rest of my life I am committed to reviving ancient Indian knowledge. I really appreciate the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent on religion, such as honesty, karuna (compassion) and ahimsa (non-violence),” said the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama went on to express gratitude to the people for all the greetings. He further added, “Now that it is my birthday, I want to express my deep appreciation to all my friends who have really shown love, respect and trust I can assure you that I am committed to serving humanity and working to protect the climate”.

The Dalai Lama - originally known as Tensin Gyatso - gained fame as a political and spiritual leader in 1950 when Tibet increasingly came under Chinese control. When China invaded Tibet in 1951,  a Tibetan-Chinese agreement was signed in which the nation became a “national autonomous region” of China, under the traditional rule of the Dalai Lama. In reality, the Chinese Army controlled it. After years of protests, a full-scale revolt broke out in March 1959, and the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to Dharamsala where he set up a shadow Tibetan government.