Dalai Lama free to hold spiritual activities: India

NEW DELHI: India on Friday said, following the visit by a US Congressional delegation to Dharamshala, that the government's position on the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent - he is a revered religious leader who has the freedom to conduct his religious activities. The Dalai Lama is deeply respected by the people of India and is accorded due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities, said external affairs ministry spokesperson Randheer Jaiswal.

However, Jaiswal refrained from commenting on US Congressman Nancy Pelosi's statement on the Dalai Lama and China. "As regards the statements by the US delegation, I would refer you to the US side and it is for them to answer. A seven-member US Congress delegation paid a visit to India from 16-20 June. The bi-partisan delegation was led by Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. They visited Dharamshala on June 18-19.

Former US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi, addressing a gathering in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, had hailed her meeting with the Dalai Lama at his monastery in Dharamshala. "His Holiness Dalai Lama, with his message of knowledge, tradition, compassion, purity of soul and love, will live a long time and his legacy will live forever. But you, the President of China, you'll be gone and nobody will give you credit for anything. The Dalai Lama would not approve of my saying that when I criticise the Chinese government, he says, let's pray for Nancy to rid her of her negative attitudes," Pelosi had said. "I hope he will indulge me today to say that change is on the way. As our colleagues have said, hope brings some faith and the faith of the Tibetan people in the goodness of others is what is going to make all the difference."


Referring to the approval by Congress for the legislation, titled 'Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act', or the Resolve Tibet Act, Pelosi said it sent a message to China that Washington is clear in its thinking on the issue of Tibet. "This bill says to the Chinese government: things have changed now, get ready for that," she said.