Days after a misleading and tailored clip of the Dalai Lama went viral to smear his image, the 87-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader on Wednesday reached Delhi to attend the two-day meeting of the Global Buddhist Summit, beginning Thursday, in the national capital to be inaugurated and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
For the Tibetans in exile, Prime Minister Modi’s presence at the Buddhist summit has given rise to the pious hope of his meeting with the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in northern India for over six decades.
The expectation stems from the fact that Modi had only spoken with the Dalai Lama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday in July 2021 and wished him a long and healthy life.
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The Indian functionalities see the probable meeting — the first publicly with the globetrotting aging Buddhist monk, feted by some of the world’s top leaders, since he took over as Prime Minister in 2014, can be seen in the context to send a stern warning amid relations between India and China worsening in the recent times and in a strategic shift that India is behind the Dalai Lama for any decision he takes on his reincarnation.
Also, India will try to signal to the US the intent to raise the profile of the Tibet issue at a time when the US administration passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act in 2020, making it clear that only the Dalai Lama should have control over his reincarnation, not complying with China’s laws to impose its sanctioned successor.
Last month Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Penpa Tsering, who is the head of Tibet’s government-in-exile, testified virtually at the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s hearing, highlighting small and large-scale repression that is deliberately intended to annihilate the foundation of Tibetan culture and national identity.
The Indian leaders and officials have generally been cautious about public contact with Tibet’s spiritual leader to avoid upsetting Beijing, which regards the spiritual leader as a dangerous “splittist”, or separatist, and frowns on any engagement with any political leader.
Tibetan leaders in Dharamsala are now hopeful of the Dalai Lama-Modi meeting with the CTA headed by democratically elected Penpa Tsering clarifying in 2021 that His Holiness is expected to meet Modi after the Covid-19 situation stabilizes.
The Dalai Lama, or Ocean of Wisdom, is the leading spiritual figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community.
The elderly monk, known for his simplicity and jovial style, prefers to participate in meetings with religious leaders, and lectures businessmen on ethics for the new millennium and the art of happiness. He chuckles throughout his talk and often slaps visitors on the back.
The Dalai Lama is the recipient of over 150 global awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, UN Environment Award, US Congressional Gold Medal, John Templeton Award, among others.
In India, he several times met with the BJP leaders, including party veterans — former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Presidents Ram Nath Kovind and Pranab Mukherjee, and Congress leader and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
At an event in January 2016 to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday, Singh referred to His Holiness as a gift of God to the world.
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