Tibetans Honour Local Senior Citizens on Thank You Himachal Event[Saturday, 1 May 2010, 4:22 p.m.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama (2nd left) presents a Buddhist scroll to Mr. Virbhadra Singh, (2nd R), Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on the occasion of Thank You Himachal Pradesh in Dharamshala. Also seen in the pictures are former state ministers and lawmakers, Mrs. Chandresh Kumari, (1st L) and Mr. G. S. Bali (1st R).

Dharamshala: The
second day of the historic ‘Thank You Himachal’ event was dedicated to
honour local senior citizens for their support to the Tibetan community
for the 50 years in exile.His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Mr.
Virbadhra Singh, Union Minister of Steel, presided over the landmark
event marking 50 years since the arrival of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
to Dharamshala from Mussoorie and to thank the government and people of
Himachal Pradesh. Hundreds of local Indian residents, including many
elderly people joined hundreds of Tibetans in the occasion at
Tsuglagkhang, the main Buddhist temple here this morning.Expressing
his gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for accepting Dharamshala
as his exile capital, the former state chief minister Mr. Virbhadra
Singh said the local Indian residents must have earned great merit to
host His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a honoured guest.Mr.
Virbhadra said the ideals of peace and non-violence of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama has won the hearts of people across India and the world
during his 50 years of stay in exile.Giving his strong support
to the Middle Way Approach of the Central Tibetan Administration to
resolve the issue of Tibet with the Chinese government, he expressed
hope and prayers that the aspiration of Tibetan people will be soon
realised as there is great changes taking place in the world for better.Calling
Tibetans as local residents of Himachal Pradesh, he praised the unity
and harmony between the Tibetan and Indian communities despite differences in customs and religion.

His Holiness honoured a local Indian resident with a traditional Tibetan Tsering Kyigor hat.

He
informed on what he had initiated to regularise the benami land owned
by Tibetans and urged the state government to follow-up on it.In
his address, His Holiness the Dalai Lama recalled his meeting with Mr
Virbhadra Singh, a royal  family of Rampur, who had told him once that
his ancestors had a very historic relationship with Tibet. His
Holiness also reminisced the poignant memories of difficult
circumstances which forced him to leave Tibet, and the hospitality and
support provided to him and the Tibetan refugees in India. His
Holiness spoke of event following a dispute between the two communities
in Dharamshala in early 1990s when a group of local Indian residents
met His Holiness and requested him to take residence in Dharamshala
until his final departure to Tibet.Around 33,834 Tibetan
refugees are settled in 14 settlements based in different parts of the
north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.(Reporter: Lobsang Choedak)