Kiren Rijiju, India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, tweeted a birthday wish to the Dalai Lama on Monday.
‘On the auspicious occasion of the 85th birthday of His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama, I offer my deepest reverence, prayers, and wishes for his long and healthy life. His values and ideals are the guiding light towards love, peace and compassion for entire humanity,’ the tweet read. Rijiju is a Buddhist.
While the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile reside in India, the Indian government has been reluctant to have contact with them in recent years. (In 2018, for example, an official memo discouraged officials from attending their events). The People’s Republic of China is acutely sensitive to any recognition being given to the Dalai Lama, having annexed Tibet in the 1950s, and regarding it as an integral part of its territory.
Border issues between China and India have been a long-term point of tension between the two countries. In recent weeks, this has boiled over into armed clashes, with several soldiers killed.
A few other high-profile Indian politicians joined in the well-wishes. These included Pema Khandu, chief minister of the state of Arunachal Pradesh, and Radha Krishna Mathur, Lt Governor of Ladakh – where the military standoff occurred.
Some analysts have suggested that these messages are meant to signal displeasure and a more hard-line stance on the part of India towards China.