Dalai Lama in Delhi, but no public function on the cards

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 19

The Dalai Lama arrived here on his second visit to the national capital, but like last time, his website has listed no public functions.

IN TRANSIT

“The Dalai Lama is in transit in Delhi. He is on his way to Bodhgaya in Bihar, where he will give three days of teaching till Dec 31,” his office said.

His office said the Dalai Lama was in transit in Delhi on his way to Bodhgaya in Bihar, where he will give three days of teaching till December 31. The Dalai Lama arrived here in the afternoon and was received at the airport with a traditional scarf by prominent Tibetans-in-exile.

He had arrived in Delhi in August for the first time in three years. He was in Ladakh for a month, where he met senior Indian officials and was given courtesies from the military, including chopper rides. This took place in the middle of the India-China stand-off in Ladakh.

However, then too he had refrained from public functions, which had not been the case till a 2018 government circular asked senior leaders and officials not to attend key events marking 60 years of Tibetans’ exile in India as it is a “very sensitive time” for ties with China. Earlier, the Dalai Lama during his visit here was seen at diverse events such as addressing the Ladies’ Wing of FICCI (2014) or holding a talk in Buddha Jayanti Park (2017) and even celebrating his 80th birthday (2016).

The policy shifted as the stalemate on the LAC continued after the Galwan Valley clash. In 2021, PM Narendra Modi publicly wished the Dalai Lama on his birthday along with his Cabinet colleagues, parliamentarians and CMs. The All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet was also revived, which has called for a Special Coordinator for Tibet-related issues on the lines of the US State Department. The forum had also met the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in December last year, leading to a sharp reaction from the Chinese embassy.