Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (6 July) wished Tibetan freedom fighter and spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama on his 86th birthday.
This direct interaction between Modi and the Tibetan leader in exile comes when the relation between India and China is tense after the border clash between the armies in the Galwan Valley in June last year that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and an unspecified number of dead Chinese soldiers.
PM Modi used Twitter to inform the public of the telephonic conversation that he had with Dalai Lama.
“Spoke on phone to His Holiness the Dalai Lama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday,” PM Modi said.
“We wish him a long and healthy life,” PM Modi added.
Spoke on phone to His Holiness the @DalaiLama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2021
Dolma Tsering, a member of Tibetan parliament praised the move by the Indian PM and said, “This is a positive move from PM Modi on wishing happy birthday to His Holiness (Dalai Lama). PM Modi wants to send message that India is no longer going to be very cautious talking about Tibet. It sends a very strong message to China: Dolma Tsering, member of Tibetan parliament.”
Lobsang Wangyal, a Tibetan activist, said, “PM Modi calling the Dalai Lama to wish him on his birthday is a great gesture, despite the border issue between India and China. This is a sign of India showing its strength. It is a very strong message to China.”
PM Modi calling the Dalai Lama to wish him on his birthday is a great gesture, despite the border issue between India and China. This is a sign of India showing its strength. It is a very strong message to China: Lobsang Wangyal, a Tibetan activist pic.twitter.com/iyxlNK4nv5
— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2021
Earlier today, in a message on his 86th birthday, Dalai Lama said, “Since I became a refugee and now 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),” he added.
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