Photo:Rashtrapati Bhavan
China is loudly complaining, once again, about another country welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama and offering him the accolades due to his position and the reverence in which he is held across the world.
On this occasion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama met the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, on December 10, when both were taking part in the Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit at President Mukherjee’s official residence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan in south India. The Summit took place on World Human Rights Day, the anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
China said that India must respect China’s “core interests” to which India replied that His Holiness is a “revered guest of India” and that the event “was non-political”.
“His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a respected and revered spiritual leader. It was a non-political event organised by Nobel laureates dedicated to the welfare of children”, said Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit
Photo: Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
Such consistent and vociferous complaints by China are leading to speculation that China has much to fear from the Dalai Lama. NS Venkataraman , writing in the Sri Lanka Guardian on December 19 said, “It is strange that China which is a large country with huge population, a strong economy and mighty military power is giving an impression that it is scared of the Dalai Lama, who is a frail elderly person with no military at his command and only possessing attributes of goodwill for everyone…It is obvious that moral power of Tibet is gaining strength over the military and economic power of China. It remains to be seen as to how long China can hold on to it’s ill-gotten Tibet”.
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