By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, September 21: Exiled Tibetan leader his Holiness the Dalai Lama on Monday left Dharamsala, his exile hometown in Northern India, for visit to the United States and Canada that will begin on Wednesday.
During the almost three-week tour, the 74-year old Nobel Peace Laureate will give series of Buddhist teachings and public talks, and will take part in dialogues on peace and education. In both the countries, the Dalai Lama is a popular public icon and enjoys a huge public following wherever he visits.
Earlier this morning, as the Dalai Lama was leaving his residential complex for the local airport, hundreds of Tibetans and well-wishers had lined up the road bearing traditional Tibetan greeting scarves (Khata), burning incense and flowers to seek his blessing and wish him a successful visit.
The Dalai Lama is expected to begin his visit from Memphis, Tennessee, where he will receive the International Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum on 23 September. The Dalai Lama was named for the award for his “steadfast commitment to protecting and defending the rights of the oppressed people of Tibet and elsewhere in the world.”
Museum Board Chairman Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks reportedly described the exiled Tibetan leader as a living example of Dr. Martin Luther King and Gandhi’s non-violence in the face of political oppression and suffering. “The Dalai Lama demonstrates life-long peaceful struggle against brutality and injustice. As the Tibetan people mark their 50th year in exile, the Dalai Lama’s struggle serves as an inspiration for social justice movements everywhere,” he said.
From Sept 27 to Oct 3, the Dalai Lama will be in Canada. After Canada, His Holiness will fly back to the US, where he will take part in events in New York and Washington, DC.
However, while in Washington, DC, the much anticipated meeting with the US President Barack Obama will not take place. When Dalai Lama last visited US in May this year, speculation was rife over his possible meeting with President Obama during his forthcoming visit to the US.
“During his stay in the US, there is no scheduled meeting between the Dalai Lama and President Obama. He would meet Obama later sometime, after his visit to China in November,” Tenzin Takhla, joint secretary at the Dalai Lama’s office, told IANS.
Obama’s top aides, including White House advisor Valerie Jarrett, were here last week to meet the Dalai Lama and other top Tibetan leaders, including Prime Minister of the Tibet’s Government in exile Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche.
The Dalai Lama’s office said the officials were here to brief the supreme leader of the Tibetan people on the best way the US could assist in the resolution of the Tibetan issue.
“She (Jarrett) reiterated President Obama’s commitment to support the Tibetan people in protecting their distinct religious, linguistic, and cultural heritage and securing respect for their human rights and civil liberties,” the Dalai Lama’s office said in a statement. Interestingly, the statement went on to add that His Holiness was “looking forward to meeting President Obama” after his first visit to China since becoming US President eight months ago.
According to the statement, the Tibetan leader apprised the US officials about the impasse on talks with the Chinese leadership on the future of Tibet and expressed his keenness to restart the dialogue process.
According to Takhla “meeting President Obama after his China visit would be more fruitful and constructive”.
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Click Here for Dalai Lama’s upcoming schedule in US and Canada
