Sidhant Sibal for WION
The new president of the Tibetan government-in-exile or the Central Tibetan administration Penpa Tsering has welcomed the announcement of PM Modi’s call to Dalai Lama on his birthday saying it sends a message to China. Speaking to WION’s Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Tsering said,”we know that the Indian govt, particularly PM Modi has been wishing his Holiness Dalai Lama for many years. It is just not PM Modi, but his predecessors as well.” Last week, a public announcement was made for the first time that Indian PM congratulated Dalai Lama on his birthday. This is a major departure from the past.
Penpa Tsering also hit out at the Chinese govt, as it attempts to eradicate “Tibetan national identity”, highlighting, “loyalty of Tibetan people inside Tibet lies with his holiness Dalai Lama and Central Tibetan Administration rather than the Chinese government.” On China keen on making an announcement on the next Dalai Lama, he advised that “if China is really interested in looking for reincarnation they should learn Buddhism first”.
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