‘Dalai Lama an honoured visitor’: MEA as China slams Modi for greeting Tibetan religious chief on birthday

By PTI

BEIJING: India on Thursday stated it has a constant coverage to deal with Tibetan religious chief Dalai Lama as an honoured visitor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday greetings to him needs to be seen from the general context.

The feedback by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi got here when requested about China’s response to Modi’s cellphone dialog with the Dalai Lama.

In the cellphone dialog, Modi prolonged birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama on Wednesday.

“The prime minister did speak to the Dalai Lama last year also. It has been a consistent policy of the government to treat the Dalai Lama as an honoured guest in India,” Bagchi stated.

He stated the Dalai Lama’s birthday is well known in India and overseas by his followers.

“Birthday greetings by the prime minister to the Dalai Lama should be seen in the overall context,” Bagchi stated.

China on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for greeting the Tibetan religious chief Dalai Lama on his 87th birthday, saying India ought to cease utilizing Tibet-related points to intervene in China’s inside affairs.

Modi greeted the Dalai Lama over the cellphone as he turned 87 on Wednesday. “Conveyed 87th birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama over the phone earlier today. We pray for his long life and good health,” Modi tweeted on Wednesday.

The prime minister wished him on his birthday final yr as nicely. The Dalai Lama’s supporters celebrated his birthday at Dharamshala the place the Dalai Lama lives in exile.

Reacting to a query on Modi’s greetings, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian advised a media briefing that “the Indian side should fully recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama.”

It ought to abide by its “commitment to China, speak and act prudently and stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” Zhao stated.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reacted to China’s statements by saying that birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama have been a constant coverage of the federal government to deal with the Dalai Lama as an honoured visitor in India.

Birthday greetings by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Dalai Lama needs to be seen within the general context.  Dalai Lama’s birthday is well known by his followers in India and overseas, the MEA added.

He additionally lashed out at US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for greeting the Dalai Lama.

In his greetings, Blinken stated, “His Holiness brings light to his fellow Tibetans and so many around the world by promoting peace, encouraging inter-faith harmony, and advocating for the preservation of Tibetan language and culture”.

“I admire His Holiness’s ongoing commitment to non-violence to resolve the grievances of the Tibetan community. I am also grateful for his dedication and service to humanity,” Blinken stated in his message posted on the US State Department web site.

“The United States will continue to support His Holiness’s and the Tibetan community’s efforts to preserve Tibet’s distinct linguistic, religious, and cultural traditions, including the ability to freely choose their religious leaders,” he stated.

Criticising Blinken’s greetings, Zhao stated, “Tibet affairs are China’s internal affairs, which brooks no foreign interference. China is firmly against any engagement by any country with the 14th Dalai Lama”.

He stated the Dalai Lama is a political exile disguised as a non secular determine who has lengthy been engaged in anti-China separatist actions.

“We urge the US side to have full understanding of the important and sensitive nature of the Tibet related issues, respect China’s core interests, have a clear understanding of the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai group and abide by its commitment on Tibet related issues, stop engaging with Dalai Lama in any form and stop sending any wrong signal to the outside world,” he stated.

He stated over the long run, Tibet has loved flourishing financial growth, social concord, stability and the cultural traditions in Tibet have been nicely protected.

People from numerous ethnic backgrounds in Tibet have the spiritual freedom and free proper to make use of and develop their very own area and spoken language.

“The international community bears witness to this,” he stated.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of indulging in “separatist” actions, nevertheless, the Tibetan religious chief insists that he’s not searching for independence however “genuine autonomy for all Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet” beneath the “Middle-Way approach”.