During the ceremony of Nobel Peace Day at the headquarters of the Tibetan Exile community, the chief guest who was a BJP member of parliament Shri Ram Swaroop Sharma called on to confer India’s highest honour Bharat Ratna on the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama today which was held at the Main Temple, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala.
“He (BJP MP) described His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a beacon of grace and humility, and called on the Indian government at the centre to bestow its most highest honour ‘the Bharat Ratna’ on His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He said, “as members of the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet led by Shri Shanta Kumar, former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, we call on the Indian government to confer the Bharat Ratna on His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We are also making efforts to invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama to address a joint session of the Indian parliament.” said the report in the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration.
The Tibetan community along with large number of Tibet supporters converged at Main Temple in Mcleod Ganj this morning taking part in the official celebration of the 28th anniversary of the conferment of Nobel Peace prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama by the Nobel Committee in 1989. While the chief guest at the celebration was Shri Ram Swaroop Sharma, a member of parliament from the governing party of India, the ceremony was also graced by the officiating CTA president Kalon Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang, Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi Phunstok, Chief Justice Commissioner Kargyu Dhondup along with members of the Kashag, Tibetan parliament-in-Exile and the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission. Officials of the Central Tibetan Administration, representatives of Tibetan non-governmental organisations and members of the local Tibetan public also joined the dignitaries in the celebration.
The Indian lawmaker expressed his hope that their appeal would soon be accepted and His Holiness will receive the Bharat Ratna and address the Indian parliament while he also said that he believes the Tibetan issue will be resolved soon and the Tibetans and Indians will celebrate the joyous occasion together.
Earlier last month, another BJP MP also former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shri Shanta Kumar called for the conferment of the Bharat Ratna on His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has been living in India for the last many decades has been describing himself as a son of India both physically and mentally. His Holiness keeps saying that his body has been surviving on Indian dal, rice and chapati (bread), while his mind is filled with the philosophy of Nalanda tradition.