Dalai Lama’s meet with President a message to China, says Sangay

The Dalai Lama’s meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee is a political message for China, the chief executive of the Tibetan government-in-exile Dr Lobsang Sangay has said, in an exclusive interview with news portal Himachal Abhi Abhi.

Dr Sangay said the meeting may carry many meanings as the Dalai Lama met the president formally at Rashtrapati Bhavan and Prime Minister Modi had also invited the Dalai Lama to his swearing-in ceremony. All this is clearly a political message to China, said Sangay, who made the comments while visiting Paonta in Himachal Pradesh.

On a question over China’s attitude and strategy towards Tibet, Dr Sangay said, despite China’s objections, Dalai Lama did attend the International Buddhist Conference in Nalanda, Bihar as the Chief Guest, and now he would be going to Arunachal Pradesh to meet his followers. Though China was protesting this visit too, Sangay said the visit was for religious purposes and should not be objected to.

Sangay also reiterated long-standing demands that suppression of Tibetans in Tibet by China should end and that Tibet be granted independence.