Dalai Lama Begins Ladakh Visit, Govt Terms It 'Religious' Tour

A government functionary said the visit of the Dalai Lama to Ladakh is a "completely religious" one, and no one should have any objections to the tour.

New Delhi: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama began his month-long visit to Ladakh from today. This is his first major visit in two years since the outbreak of the coronavirus. The Government of India termed this as a 'religious' tour, as reported by news agency PTI. A government functionary said the visit of the Dalai Lama to Ladakh is a "completely religious" one, and no one should have any objections to the tour.

Meanwhile, Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal has also welcomed Dalai Lama and wrote on Twitter, "welcome his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to Union Territory of Ladakh."

The visit assumes strategic importance as tensions between India and China have been brewing in eastern Ladakh since 2020 and China has objected to the Dalai Lama's visit to the region in the past. Dalai Lama will be in the region around the same time India and China hold the next Corps Commander-level talks on July 17.

"India and China are most populated countries and neighbours. Sooner or later, you have to solve this problem (border disputes along the Line of Actual Control) through talks and peaceful means," the Dalai Lama told reporters in Jammu before leaving for Ladakh.

"Use of military force is outdated now," he said.

"The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and his visit to Ladakh is completely religious. Why should anyone have objections to the tour," the government functionary said.

"The Dalai Lama had visited Ladakh in the past. He had visited Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) too but he could not undertake any visit in the last two years due to the pandemic," the functionary said.

However, Dalai Lama told the media in Jammu that some Chinese fundamentalists consider him a separatist. He said that they are not demanding independence from China but autonomy for Tibet within it. The Tibetan spiritual leader said, "Not Chinese people, but some Chinese hardliners consider me a separatist. Now, more & more Chinese are realising that Dalai Lama not seeking independence but within China meaningful autonomy & to preserve Tibetan Buddhist culture," said the highest spiritual leader as reported by news agency ANI.

Earlier this month, PM Modi had greeted the Dalai Lama over the phone as he turned 87.

"Conveyed 87th birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama over the phone earlier today. We pray for his long life and good health," PM Modi tweeted on July 6.

China had said that India should stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs. 

Reacting to a question on PM Modi's greetings, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing that "the Indian side also needs to fully understand the anti-China and separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama," as reported by news agency PTI.

In a message to the world, the Dalai Lama said there is no point to fight each other. "The fight happens due to 'my nation, my country, my idealogy (thinking)'. That is too narrow-minded an approach." He said people live together whether one likes or dislikes it. "These are little family problems too as all human beings are all brothers and sisters," he said.