The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama condoled the family members at the death of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, referring him as one of the most eminent national leaders of India and one of the strongest voices for Tibet since the beginning. Recounting their friendship, His Holiness wrote that Vajpayee was a truly dedicated politician.
According to the official website of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader wrote to Shri Vajpayee’s foster daughter, Smt Namita Bhattacharya, to express his condolences.
“I feel privileged to have known him and am honoured to have counted him as a friend,” he wrote. “We met regularly during the course of his career and I continued to visit him at home after he retired.”
“Shri Vajpayee was a truly dedicated politician. With his passing away, India has lost an eminent national leader. His eloquent support of the Tibetan people began in the late 1950s. Since then, he regularly took Indian governments to task in parliament, prompting them to take a stronger stand on Tibet.”
His Holiness concluded his tribute to this distinguished Indian statesman by offering condolences to his relatives, friends and colleagues.
The president of Central Tibetan Administration, Dr. Lobsang Sangay to condoled the demise of former Prime Minister and the first president of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the age of 93 at AIIMS hospital in New Delhi. “Deeply saddened by the loss of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. He was one of the giants in Indian politics and also one of the strongest voices for Tibet,” said Dr Sangay.