India on Friday staunchly supported the high-level US Congressional delegation visit to India where they met Tibet Spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday. The foreign ministry, dubbed as MEA, clarified that "Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. His Holiness is accorded due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities." The latest remarks from New Delhi came as China fumed over the visit of the US delegation to Dharamsala.
"I would like to reiterate India's position on His Holiness Dalai Lama. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. His Holiness is accorded due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities..." MEA spokesperson said.
Earlier on Thursday, a US delegation of influential bipartisan lawmakers met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Those who met PM Modi included US House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul, and former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who met Tibet Spiritual leader Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamsala. Later in the evening, the delegation met EAM S Jaishankar where the ministers discussed a wide range of issues.
Notably, this was the first big engagement of the US officials with an Indian leader after they met Dalai Lama on Wednesday. The meeting conveyed a significant message to China, who warned the US officials of their engagement with Tibet's spiritual leader. Earlier on Tuesday, China warned the US delegation to refrain from meeting the Dalai Lama.
Why is the delegation in India?
Who is the Dalai Lama?
Born in 1935 as Lhamo Thondup, the Dalai Lama was identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor at the age of two, and enthroned in 1940 as the 14th Dalai Lama in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. Beijing invaded Tibet in 1950, and the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against its rule, since when he has lived in exile in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
Why is the visit controversial?
It has riled China at a time when Beijing and Washington are struggling to improve ties, and India's relations with China have also been strained since a military standoff on their Himalayan frontier killed 24 soldiers in 2020. US President Joe Biden is expected to sign the Resolve Tibet Act soon, in a bid to find a resolution for the dispute, although Washington considers the Tibetan Autonomous Region to be a part of China.
"This visit should highlight the bipartisan support in the US Congress for Tibet to have a say in their own future," the chief of the U.S. delegation, and one author of the bill, Michael McCaul, said ahead of his departure from Washington on Friday.
What are China's objections?
China accuses the Dalai Lama of being a "splittist" or a separatist, but he says he wants genuine autonomy for his remote Himalayan homeland. While Beijing has always objected to his meetings with foreign leaders, this has not prevented the Dalai Lama from meeting them, including US presidents, although Biden has not met him yet. However, the most contentious issue is the task of appointing his successor. While Beijing has said it has the right to approve a successor, in a move set to strengthen its control over Tibet, the Dalai Lama says only the Tibetan people can make that call, and his successor could be found in India.
(With inputs from agencies)
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