By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, August 29: There is absolutely “no cause for concern” over His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s health, and he will join in the 12-hour fasting and prayers for peace and freedom from Mumbai, according to a latest statement from his office.
After undergoing “some medical tests” since arriving in Mumbai yesterday afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is in a “stable” condition and there is absolutely “no cause for concern” over his health now.
Doctors looking after him at the Lilavati hospital, where the Tibetan leader is being admitted, have, however, advised he needed “good rest”.
“The doctors attending on him have given assurances that there is absolutely no cause for concern. All that he needs is a good rest,” the statement issued today by the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama said.
Following a 12-day high-profile visit to France, the Dalai Lama on Wednesday cancelled “all his schedules”, including two foreign trips after complaining exhaustion. He was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai on Thursday with “abdominal discomfort”.
“He is stable, there is no cause for concern,” Lilavati hospital spokesman Mohan Rajan reportedly said.
The statement from his office also said the Dalai Lama will now join in tomorrow’s 12-hour fasting and prayers for peace and freedom from Mumbai.
“His Holiness will therefore join from Mumbai in the 12-hour fasting and prayers for peace and freedom that are being organized in Dharamsala and elsewhere on Saturday, 30 August 2008 by the Tibetan Solidarity Committee,” it said.
On Saturday Tibetans and supporters around the world will observe a 12-hour prayer service and symbolic fasting to reinforce their commitment to non-violence.
Annoyed by his high-profile visit to France, China on Tuesday asked the Dalai Lama to stop his “separatist” activities and take “concrete actions” for future talks between the two sides.
Seven rounds of talks between the Dalai Lama’s representatives and that of the Chinese government, started since 2002, did not make any significant breakthrough.
The latest seventh round of talks held in Beijing on July 1 and 2 was the first formal round of talks between the two sides after widespread unrests broke out in Tibet in March.
Despite strong pressure on China by world leaders to hold result-orientated dialogue with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Tibetan side has complained there was lack of “sincerity” from the Chinese side to make any headway on the status of Tibet.
A senior Tibetan envoy described the outcome of the latest round of talks, as “disappointing”.
“I personally told my Chinese counterparts very candidly that if the talks do not make any tangible results, there is no point in wasting each other’s time,” Mr Gyari, the Dalai Lama’s Special Envoy, told reporters in Dharamsala following the two-day talks with Chinese counterparts.
China, however, insists it is “sincere” about talks over the Tibet issue.
“The central government is sincere about holding contact with the Dalai side,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao reportedly told reporters in Beijing last month.
The Two sides have, in their July meeting, however, “agreed” to meet again later in October this year.
