Sunday, November 25, 2001		VIP Toon Tales

Dalai Lama
by Ranga

POLICEMEN in plain clothes had swarmed around a five-star hotel room in Delhi. They were holding their wireless sets in hand and this attracted me to find out who the VIP was. I was there by chance and I was told that it was his Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Nobel Peace Prize-winner and the temporal and spiritual head of Tibetans. I felt I should not miss the chance of meeting one of the greatest celebrities of the world.

I soon contacted one of the officials who was looking after his engagements in Delhi. He was not sure how best he could help me. However, he consulted his colleagues and ultimately I was led into his room where His Holiness was holding talks with some guests.

I stood at one corner and took a glimpse of his personality with his yellow robes and made a sketch of his. I was wondering whether he would respond to my request to autograph it or not. The monk who has perfected the ‘art of laughing’ flashed a beaming smile and placed his signature over it and burst into laughter.