Dharamsala, July 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led the nation in extending greetings to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday, with prayers for his continued good health and long life.

“I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday,” Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X.

“He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline. His message has inspired respect and admiration across all faiths. We pray for his continued good health and long life,” he added.

Currently, the Prime Minister is in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, visit during which he will participate in the 17th BRICS Summit and undertake a state visit. The Prime Minister’s greetings come amid a row over the Dalai Lama’s successor plan, with China urging India to ‘act cautiously’, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning saying India should exercise caution in its words and actions and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs with Xizang-related issues.

Beijing regards the Dalai Lama, who is based in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, as a “separatist”. It is sensitive to meeting international leaders, attending official functions or visiting places at the invitation of the Indian government.

In a strategic shift, Prime Minister Modi in 2021 had made a clear-cut departure from the policies of successive governments of ‘making distance’ of sorts from the Tibetan spiritual leader by extending greetings to him on his 86th birthday. In that year, making a public announcement by the Prime Minister regarding extending greetings to the Dalai Lama was an important strategic shift from New Delhi as on earlier occasions the government used to avoid such gestures to avoid upsetting China.

The 14th Dalai Lama, the Voice for the Voiceless, aims to live for decades more. In the run-up to his 90th birthday, the Nobel Peace Laureate also confirmed he will have a successor, putting to rest speculation over whether the 600-year-old institution will end when he dies.

Meanwhile, in celebration of the extraordinary occasion of His Holiness turning 90, the democratically elected Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the representative of Tibetan people both in and outside Tibet that is based in this north Indian hill station, has declared July 2025 to July 2026 will be observed ‘The Year of Compassion’.

The initiative celebrates His Holiness not only as a spiritual leader but also as a global advocate for peace, compassion, secular ethics, and interfaith harmony, among others.

In a birthday-eve message, the Dalai Lama said, “As for myself, I will continue to focus on my commitments of promoting human values, religious harmony, drawing attention to the ancient Indian wisdom which explains the workings of mind and emotions, and Tibetan culture and heritage, which has so much potential to contribute to the world through its emphasis on peace of mind and compassion. I develop determination and courage in my daily life through the teachings of the Buddha and Indian masters such as Shantideva, whose following aspiration I strive to uphold.”

The Buddhist monk considers himself a son of India. “All particles in my mind contain thoughts from Nalanda. And it’s Indian ‘dal’ and ‘chapati’ that have built this body. I am mentally and physically a son of India,” the Dalai Lama, in his addresses, is often quoted as saying.

“India and Tibet share a relationship of ‘guru’ (teacher) and ‘chela’ (disciple). When I see some part of my ‘guru’ being corrupt, as a ‘chela’ I feel ashamed,” he said.

Time and again, a demand from Indian parliamentarians and his believers is being raised that India should confer its highest civilian award — Bharat Ratna — on him in recognition of his services to humanity.

The 14th Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935, in a small village in the remote Amdo region of Tibet. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in March 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, believes in a ‘middle-way’ approach, meaning greater autonomy for Tibet rather than outright independence.

The pontiff lives in exile in McLeodganj, a small and quaint hill station in the suburbs of Dharamsala in the northern Indian Himalayas.

–IANS

vg/dpb