Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 17: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to congratulate him on his birthday and offer his good wishes.
In his message, the Dalai Lama acknowledged India’s long-standing principles of non-violence and compassion, stating, “With its age-old traditions of ‘Ahimsa’ and ‘Karuna’, India sets an example to the world.”
The Dalai Lama also noted India’s growing global influence and its role as a democracy, writing, “Moreover, its growing international influence, in addition to being a robust democracy, means that India has an important contribution to make to peace and dialogue in our increasingly interdependent world.”
He expressed gratitude for the support provided to the Tibetan community over the decades, saying, “As ever, I would like to take this opportunity to express immense gratitude to the Government and people of India for the generous assistance and hospitality provided to me and Tibetans in exile for more than 65 years.”
Concluding his message, the Dalai Lama wished Modi well, stating, “I wish you good health and success in realizing the hopes and aspirations of the people of this great and ancient country and in contributing to the creation of a more compassionate, peaceful world.”
In July, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi extended his greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 89th birthday. Modi also wished His Holiness a swift recovery from knee surgery and prayed for his good health and long life. Despite these pleasantries, the two leaders have not met in person since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India.
