Dalai Lama Wishes PM Modi On Birthday

The Dalai Lama extended birthday wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 73 on Sunday, wishing him long life and success in fulfilling the aspirations of the people.

The Dalai Lama in his letter to Modi congratulated him on the successful culmination of the G20 Summit under India's presidency.

"May I also take this opportunity to congratulate you on the success of India's G20 presidency, culminating in the summit on the theme of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - One Earth, One Family, One Future'. This is a theme that resonates strongly with me. I firmly believe in the oneness of humanity and encourage other people to appreciate its importance whenever I can," said the Tibetan leader.

He thanked India for its more than six-decade-long refuge to the Tibetans and hailed it for its long-held principles of non-violence and compassion.

"India's traditions of ahimsa and karuna are more than 1,000 years old. As the largest democracy and most populous nation on the planet, with a long tradition of inter-religious harmony, India presents an example to the world.

"On behalf of the Tibetan people, may I once again express deep gratitude to the government and people of India for their hospitality and generous assistance to us over the last 64 years," he said.

The Buddhist leader prayed for the good health of the prime minister and wished him success in "fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people and contributing to the creation of a more compassionate, peaceful world."