By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, MARCH 31: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama today embarked on 12-day Northeast tour today from Dharamshala amid objections from China and support from India to the visit.
He is scheduled to take part in the concluding program of the platinum jubilee celebrations of The Assam Tribune on April 1. On the following days, he will be giving public talks at Guwahati University on April 2 and Dibrugarh University on April 3. Assamese Translation of the Tibetan leader’s autobiography My Land and My People will be launched as well at Guwahati University.
However, the visit drew extensive media coverage after Chinese government objected saying the Tibetan exiled leader’s visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, will harm ties between the two Asian powers.
The latest to express opposition to the visit is the Chinese Consul General in Kolkata, Ma Zhanwu, who asked New Delhi to cancel the trip. “India must cancel the visit,” Ma said, “China has expressed not just reservation but strong opposition to the decision by the Indian government regarding the activities of the Dalai Lama.”
The 81-year-old will be spending nine days in Arunachal Pradesh, which includes teaching in Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila and finally at Itanagar. Tawang schedule is of three days with teachings on Kamalashila’s The Middling States of Meditation, Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Rinzin Dhondup Initiation on the third day.
Today marks exactly 58 years since the Tibetan leader, then just 24, crossed into India.
