Before Govt Notice Against Dalai Lama Event, India Informed China

India asked Centre and state leaders to stay away from events commemorating the Dalai Lama’s 60 years in exile.

The Ministry of External Affairs had informed Beijing about India’s move asking senior leaders from the Centre and states not to accept “any invitation or to participate in the proposed commemorative events” planned for religious leader Dalai Lama’s 60 years in exile, reported The Indian Express.

Quoting sources, TIE reported that the information was communicated through diplomatic networks “as a mark of goodwill” to improve ties between India and China to set the ball rolling for the informal summit to be held at Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on 27 and 28 April.

Sources told The Indian Express that a similar letter was sent during the 50th anniversary of the exile of the religious leader, but Indo-China relations are poorer now than during the earlier occasion.

The Indian Express, on 2 March, had reported that Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale requested Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha in a note dated 22 February to issue a “classified circular advisory advising all ministries/departments of the Government of India as well as state governments not to accept any invitation or to participate in the proposed commemorative events.”

On the same day, the MEA clarified that its stance on the Dalai Lama had not changed. In a statement, the MEA said, “Government of India’s position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. There is no change in that position. His Holiness is accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India.”

Following the move, the Tibetan government-in-exile had cancelled the inter-faith prayer in New Delhi and moved the location of the ‘Thank You India’ event to a venue in Dharamsala.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)

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