By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Mar. 31: The exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has expressed support and admiration for the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s collaborative effort to combat the COVID-19 virus that has claimed the lives of over 39,000 lives till date world-wide.
In a letter written to PM Modi, he wrote, “I would like to thank you for the initiative that you have taken in partnership with other SAARC countries to set up an emergency fund and to exchange information, knowledge and expertise to tackle the spread of Covid-19. Such collaboration will also create a model for dealing with similar problems in the future.
“I appreciate the enormous challenges that this crisis poses to the world community and the need for strict measures to be taken to meet them,” he wrote, urging the authorities to provide assistance and help to the less privileged members of the community during the lockdown which caused thousands to lose their jobs.
The octogenarian Tibetan leader who donated to the state government’s CM relief fund for COVID-19 earlier also donated an undisclosed amount to the ‘PM CARES fund’ for the same purpose, declaring that members of his office staff will also contribute one day’s salary to the Fund.
The Dalai Lama also expressed confidence in the steps being taken by the Central Government, praying that they will be effective in containing the spread of the virus.
According to the Indian Ministry of Health, there have been 1117 positive cases of COVID-19 and 32 fatal cases in India as of Tuesday. Monday recorded 227 fresh cases of infection nationwide -the highest for a day since the outbreak.
