Indian Leaders attended Celebration of Dalai Lama’s 80th Birthday
The celebration was organised by the Central Tibetan Administration led by Prime Minister of Tibetan Govt in Exile, Dr. Lobsang Sangay to mark His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birth anniversary to honour his remarkable achievements and contribution towards world peace in general and the Tibetan cause in particular.
The mega celebration was attended by a host of top Indian leaders including Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Culture, Tourism & MoS for Ministry of Civil Aviation; Hon. Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs; Viplove Thakur, MP from Himachal Pradesh; Nabam Tuki, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, Tourism Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, among others. All the guests were invited by Dr. Lobsang Sangay on behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration.
In his address, Minister Mahesh Sharma said, “I came here with the best wishes and prayers of 125 Crore Indians. We pray before god today for your long life and to give you more strength, to give you health, to give you courage, to show the path of life and the path of wisdom to the world and to humanity.”
“This world has recognised those who have given back to humanity, and those who have given back to the world. And one of the most powerful leaders, one of the most highly revered spiritual leaders to emerge in the last so many years is His Holiness the Dalai lama in this great democratic country of India. His Holiness has brought us the values of the great Mahatma Gandhi and I think in today’s world, the message of peace and kindness is recognised as his greatest achievement."
Saying further “We will remember your contribution to peace and for using Satyagarha as a weapon in your struggle for freedom. You have taught your people and all the mankind that losers are those who refuse to rise up after falling down and not those who continue to rise up even after falling down. We salute you for this strength and wisdom.”
Greeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the occasion. Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, said: “Being an Indian and a devotee of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I would like to extend my prayers for the long life of His Holiness so that he can continue to bless us with his messages of love and compassion. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a global icon. The messages and the values that he espouses guide humanity to peace and harmony.”
