McLeod Ganj, India
The Dalai Lama, the charismatic Buddhist spiritual leader lauded worldwide for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for his Tibetan homeland, will celebrate his 90th birthday in July.
A thorn in China’s side, Tenzin Gyatso became the face of the Tibetan cause as he crisscrossed the globe, mixing with royalty, politicians and celebrities.
With his famous beaming smile, the Dalai Lama has become a global symbol of peace whose message transcends religion. He is regarded by his many supporters as a visionary in the vein of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
The Dalai Lama was just 23 when he fled the Tibetan capital Lhasa in fear for his life, after Chinese troops crushed an uprising that began on March 10, 1959.
It took him 13 days to cross the Himalayas to the Indian border. He has never returned.
His life in exile has centred around the northern Indian hill-town of Dharamsala, home to thousands of fellow Tibetans who maintain traditional customs, even though many have never set foot in their ancestral homeland.
In Dharamsala, he set up a government-in-exile and launched a campaign to reclaim Tibet, evolving to adopt a “middle way” approach that relinquished demands for independence for calls for greater autonomy.
Unlikely celebrity
In 1989, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his bid to “seek reconciliation despite brutal violations”.
The award catapulted him into the global spotlight, and he was courted by world leaders and Hollywood stars.
In his maroon robes, simple sandals and wide-rimmed spectacles, the Dalai Lama is an unlikely celebrity.
But his sense of mischief — he once announced he would like to reincarnate as an attractive blonde — and infectious chuckle have proved irresistible, making him a darling of the world’s media.
The Chinese government, however, has remained impervious to his charm, branding him a separatist and a “wolf in a monk’s robe”.
Tibet has alternated over the centuries between independence and control by China, and Beijing says the region is an integral part of the country. Click here to read more.
