Amid concerns raised by China, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai lama arrived in Assam on Saturday for a 12-day visit, which also includes a visit to Tawang, the frontier town in Arunachal Pradesh, often claimed by China as disputed territory.
The Dalai lama addressed a huge gathering organised by The Assam Tribune Group of Newspapers and recounted his arrival in India’s Northeast in 1959, the freedom he had experienced for the first time and a move that changed the course of his life.
“The Chinese Army has intensified its activities in lhasa and I had no other option but to escape. When I sent some of our men to the Indian border, they readily allowed us in and today I can say that I am the longest guest the Indian Government has,” said the Tibetan Spiritual leader while addressing the gathering.
The Dalai lama said that the last century that is 20th century was a century of violence where more than 200 million people were killed. However, giving a ray of hope in the 21st century, the youths are more compassionate, he said while advocating for strong spirit of dialogue to nail down the disagreement.
China had opposed the Indian Government’s move to allow the Tibetan Spiritual leader to visit India’s northeastern region and said that the Indian Government’s move will impact the bilateral relation between the two countries.
The Dalai lama is expected to address the ongoing Namami Brahmaputra river festival in Assam tomorrow and deliver a talk at the Gauhati University tomorrow before leaving for Arunachal Pradesh where he would visit Tawang and other places delivering his teachings. Dalai lama’s Arunachal visit starts from April 4.
Meanwhile, India’s Minister of state for Home Kiren Rijiju today reacted to China’s stand over the Spiritual leader’s visit and said that China should not meddle with India’s internal affairs. “India does not interfere regarding the internal matters of China. So they also should not meddle with our internal matters,” said Rijiju while interacting with a section of journalists in Naharlagun today.