PM Narendra Modi wishes Dalai Lama on his birthday

Advertisement

Dharamsala, July 6

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his wishes on the telephone to the Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday today. He also prayed for long life and good health of the Dalai Lama in a tweet.

Tibetans, followers and friends of Tibet celebrated the occasion across the world with festivities and hope. The official commemoration was observed by the CTA-led Tibetans at the courtyard of the Tsuglagkhang temple at McLeodganj in Dharamsala. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur virtually attended the celebrations as chief guest along with Richard Gere, Hollywood actor and chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet. Gere is a staunch supporter of Tibet and a follower of the Dalai Lama.

Other guests at the official celebration included Jonang Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Himachal Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania, Dharamsala MLA Vishal Nehria and former Senator and Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affair, Italy, Gianni Vernetti.

Thakur, while virtually addressing the guests and Tibetan attendees, spoke about his telephonic conversation with the Dalai Lama. He lauded the Dalai Lama’s contributions to making Dharamsala known world over through preservation of Tibetan religion and cultural heritage in the host state. The guests jointly cut the ceremonial cake.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration highlighted inability to celebrate the occasion in Tibet despite the wishes of Tibetans there due to unabated restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.

Pathania, who attended the celebrations on behalf of the Chief Minister, also lauded the Dalai Lama’s contributions to transforming Dharamsala into an international tourist destination through his presence. He said that the life story of the Dalai Lama had been included in the school syllabus in Himachal. “We stand with you on this fight for independence, and we will always stand with you,” he said.

Furthermore, Dr Vijay Jolly, a senior BJP leader, presented a framed birthday message from senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar to the Sikyong Penpa Tsering.

Special guest Richard Gere said, “Tibetans, you should be proud since once, not in a lifetime, once in a millennium, maybe in two millennia, such a person, such a human being as the Dalai Lama emerges and he is a Tibetan”.

“The Dalai Lama is not going to be here forever, he is going to leave this body at some point. Therefore, we can’t rely on the Dalai Lama to carry all of us. We have to carry each other, and it’s going to happen soon enough that reality hits us. It’s up to the Tibetan people to carry the weight of your freedom, the weight of your truth, the weight of your possibilities, and the weight of your vision,” he said. A variety of folk dance performances by various communities were presented.