Dalai Lama to preside over ‘Thank You India’ event in Dharamsala

DHARAMSALA: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) will organise the “Thank You India” event at the Tsuglagkhang temple on March 31 and the programme will be presided over by the Dalai Lama. The CTA gave this information in a press note issued here today.

Members of a Tibetan group protest against CTA president Lobsang Sangay on Saturday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 17

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) will organise the “Thank You India” event at the Tsuglagkhang temple on March 31 and the programme will be presided over by the Dalai Lama.

The CTA gave this information in a press note issued here today.

The programme was scheduled to be held in Delhi and many senior political leaders, including LK Advani, Shanta Kumar and Manmohan Singh, were supposed to attend it.

However, after an advisory from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the programme had to be shifted to Dharamsala.

The CTA had tried to take permission to hold the event at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala, however, the HPCA did not oblige it. Now, the event will be held at the Tsuglagkhang temple in McLeodganj. The Dalai Lama has given his consent for the event but it is likely to be a low-key affair.

Meanwhile, in an unprecedented move, the programme, organised by the CTA to celebrate March 17 as the day the Dalai Lama fled into exile from China, was cancelled abruptly. Many mediapersons came to know about the cancellation of the event after they reached the venue this morning.

Official sources said the event was cancelled as the Dalai Lama had to leave for Jammu to preside over a function in Central University. However, sources here said the Dalai Lama might be unhappy due to political developments in the CTA with one group protesting against the other.

Supporters of former speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile Penpa Tsering held a protest, seeking the removal of Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile. Both Tsering and Sangay have been at loggerheads since they contested the last election of PM against each other. Dalai Lama had even warned both leaders against resorting to politics.

Protest against Sangay

The event to celebrate the day the Dalai Lama left Tibet was cancelled as the Dalai Lama had to leave for Jammu to preside over a function in Central University. However, it is said the Dalai Lama may be unhappy due to political developments in the CTA. Meanwhile, supporters of former speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile Penpa Tsering held a protest, seeking the removal of Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile.