Thaindian News

Dharamsala, July 6 (IANS) Tibetans living in exile in this Himachal Pradesh town celebrated the 76th birthday of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Wednesday.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, however, is in Washington on an 11-day visit to the US.

Large crowds of foreigners and well-wishers began to gather in the morning at the Tsuglagkhang, the main temple close to the official palace of the Dalai Lama at McLeodganj, to join in the celebrations.

“Special prayer sessions were held at Tsuglagkhang temple in which thousands of people prayed for the well-being and long life of His Holiness,” Thubten Samphel, a spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration, told IANS.

The 76th birthday is especially significant for the exiles as the Dalai Lama in May devolved his “formal authority” to the elected leadership.

The spiritual leader is now draping only the spiritual robe as he has no more say in the political affairs of the Tibetans.

The Tibetan exiles off late seem to have lost hope of finding an amicable solution with the present Chinese leadership over genuine autonomy for the people of Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution.

A statement of the Tibetan cabinet, the Kashag, read by outgoing prime minister-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche during the celebrations said: “We have made our stand clear (to the Chinese) through the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People and Note on the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People.”

“However, it seems that the present leadership of the People’s Republic of China has no desire to give any meaningful consideration of our Memorandum and its Note.”

But the cabinet expressed its desire to continue with its process to engage the Chinese authorities in dialogue.

“But from our side, we have a firm determination to continue the dialogue process. Moreover, we have already formulated a clear stand and a firm base to carry forward the dialogue in accordance with any future change that may take place in the People’s Republic of China,” the statement added.

The two sides have held nine rounds of talks since 2002 to resolve the Tibetan issue. But no major breakthrough has been achieved so far.

But the Kashag expressed gratitude to the spiritual leader for remaining with them to dispel the suffering of all human beings and especially to guide Tibetans as long as possible.

Born July 6, 1935, at Taktser hamlet in northeastern Tibet, the Dalai Lama was recognised at the age of two as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso.

He fled Tibet after a failed uprising against the Chinese rule in 1959, basing his Tibetan government-in-exile here that never won recognition from any country.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent campaign for democracy and freedom in his homeland. Since fleeing to India, he has spent his time in exile pushing for autonomy for Tibet.

India is home to around 100,000 Tibetans.