DHARAMSALA, India (REUTERS) – The Dalai Lama called on his people to remain united as the Tibetan community gathered on Saturday (March 31) in a small hill town to mark 60 years of political asylum in India – although just one federal minister appeared at the event..
DHARAMSALA, India (REUTERS) – The Dalai Lama called on his people to remain united as the Tibetan community gathered on Saturday (March 31) in a small hill town to mark 60 years of political asylum in India – although just one federal minister appeared at the event.
The “Thank You India” event had been scheduled for India’s capital, New Delhi, but was shifted to Dharamsala, a small town in the country’s north where Tibetans run a government in exile, as India tries to avoid a confrontation with China, which views the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist.
Officially, New Delhi says its policy toward the Dalai Lama remains the same, and the Tibetan government in exile says it moved the event to Dharamsala out of respect for India’s foreign policy needs. India’s culture minister was the only minister present at the event.
“Today we are celebrating 60 years in exile and we are confident, and we can see how our future shapes up,” the Dalai Lama said at the event.
He emphasised the “strong bond between India and Tibet”, saying the two shared a “deep connection of culture and literature”.
