Amidst the controversial reports of Indian Union government directing its officials and functionaries to avoid Dalai Lama and Tibetan events in view of ‘sensitive times’ of its dealing with China, India however seem to have changed its mind as leaders from BJP and Congress attend the Tibetans’ ‘Thank You India’ event in Dharamshala presided over by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Following the reports of Union Government directing its officials and functionaries to skip the Tibetan events, two high profile Tibetan events both to be presided by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi were cancelled while the ‘Thank You India’ event was shifted to lower profile venue in Dharamshala.
However, cabinet minister of BJP led government Dr Mahesh Sharma attended the ‘Thank You India’ as the chief guest while Shri Ram Madhav, General Secretary of BJP attended the event as the guest of honour. Other dignitaries included Shri Satyavarath Chaturvedi, a member of Parliament from Congress as well as Shri Shanta Kumar, former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and Shri Kishan Kapoor, minister of Himachal Pradesh.
“If we talk about relationships, or brotherhood, or teacher and disciple, then terms like ‘thank you’ are not needed. The Indo-Tibetan bond is thousands of years old, it cannot be quantified, nor is terms like ‘thank you’ needed in the current context,” Dr. Mahesh Sharma told at the event.
The guest of honour, Shri Ram Madhav told that “We are bound by religion, culture, spirituality, knowledge. Therefore, you don’t need to thank India. Brothers don’t thank each other. In India we say we become each other in 6 months. You have been here for sixty years. We have become one people culturally,”
Congress representative at the event Shri Satyavarath Chaturvedi said “India and Tibet are linked not just through borders but through the rich culture and spirituality of Nalanda. Such relations support each other in times of need. Under the circumstance when His Holiness and the Tibetan people came to India, it was India’s sacred duty. So we just fulfilled our duty by welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Therefore, everyone of you is our special guests and a part of our family.”
The former CM of Himachal Pradesh Shri Shanta Kumar thanked His Holiness the Dalai Lama His Holiness the Dalai Lama for making Dharamshala world renowned for peace and compassion.
‘Thank You India’ event organised by the Central Tibetan Administration while initially seemed to have been abandoned by Indian government, came out to be a grand success with high profile dignitaries from both the ruling and opposition parties of India at Dharamsala on Saturday.
Photo / Tenzin Jigme Taydeh / DIIR
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