Bhubaneswar, January 8 – Tibetans are gradually becoming a minority in Tibet with the entry of Chinese immigrants, the spiritual head of the Tibetans, Dalai Lama, has said.
Addressing reporters at a Tibetan refugee settlement in Chandragiri in Orissa’s Gajapati district, the Dalai Lama said Chinese immigrants were gradually increasing in many areas of Tibet. As a result, Tibetans were fast becoming a minority, the Nobel Laureate said.
“Nobody knows when we will get freedom. But at present there are 100,000 Tibetans living in various states in India. Our third generation is coming up and many of them now say that India is their country,” he said.
The Dalai Lama said: “We, the Tibetan Buddhists, originally come from India that is Nalanda and are proud of our lineage with this country.”
Replying to a question about freedom of Tibet from Chinese occupation, the Dalai Lama said no one could predict when it would happen.
“Many governments are helping us to have a meaningful dialogue with China. We have not resigned ourselves to fate. Our struggle will continue,” he said.
He said they had started an election process where people’s representatives would look after the affairs of Tibetans.
The Dalai Lama, who arrived in Orissa Sunday, had earlier said in Bhubaneswar that the growing friendship between India and China would not affect the interests of Tibet.
