India slams China's criticism on PM Modi's wish to Dalai Lama

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phone-call to the 14th Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday has riled up Xi Jinping’s regime in Beijing, prompting it to ask New Delhi to refrain from using the issue of Tibet to interfere in the internal affairs of China.

New Delhi responded by underlining that it was a consistent policy of the Government of India to treat the Dalai Lama as an honoured guest in the country.

The Modi Government is also preparing to send out a strong message to Beijing, with visits of Dalai Lama to Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) later this month – the first tours by the octogenarian Tibetan Buddhist monks out of his residence at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh after he had to cancel all his public engagements in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of China told journalists in Beijing that India needed to “fully understand the anti-China and separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama”.

“It needs to abide by its commitments to China on Tibet-related issues, act and speak with prudence and stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” said Zhao. “Tibet-related affairs are China’s internal affairs and brook no interference by any external forces. China firmly opposes all forms of contact between foreign officials and the Dalai Lama.”

The prime minister on Wednesday called the 14th Dalai Lama to greet him on his 87th birthday and later tweeted praying for his long life, thus tacitly sending out a message to President Xi Jinping’s regime in Beijing.

As the Tibetan Government in Exile (TGiE) held an event to celebrate the birthday of the Dalai Lama at its headquarters in Dharamshala, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur, joined it virtually. The celebrity actor Richard Gere from Hollywood was also present in the ceremony, which was led by the Sikyong (President) of the TGiE, Penpa Tsering. Meenakshi Lekhi, the Minister of State for External Affairs, represented the Government of India at another event held in New Delhi on the occasion of the birthday of the Tibetan Buddhist monk.

Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, dismissed China’s criticism over the prime minister’s call to the Dalai Lama. He said that the Dalai Lama was a respected religious leader who enjoyed a large following in India.

“The Dalai Lama is accorded all due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities in India. His birthday is celebrated by many of his followers in India and abroad,” Bagchi said. “The birthday greetings by the prime minister to the Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday should be seen in this overall context.”