Dalai Lama Row: Ladakh Comes Out In Solidarity With Dalai Lama

Thousands of people on Saturday came out in Leh to show solidarity with the Dalai Lama and condemned “the recent conspiracies” to defame him. Protesters took out a march in Leh, the capital city of the Union Territory of Ladakh, shouting slogans of “Long live Dalai Lama” and “Down with media”.

They were asking media channels to apologise for their portrayal of the spiritual leader and called his act of showing his tongue to a child an “instance of showering compassionate love and profound kindness on a devotee”. Many had shaved their heads and had written Dalai Lama on their hands.

The protest was organised by the Ladakh Buddhist Association and the Ladakh Gonpa Association. Later in a statement, the two organisations said that they “strongly and unequivocally condemn the malicious intent of some evil forces to discredit His Holiness in order to please their benefactors”.

“We beseech people of wisdom and balanced understanding to know a culture before true, untrue meanings are drawn from propaganda material posted and made viral on social media handles. Tongue sticking or tongue hanging is an expression of extreme compassionate love, kindness and even humility in many cultures,” they said.

The Buddhist leaders said the Dalai Lama’s act has been misrepresented and wrongly projected by some enemies of love and compassion on some social media platforms, seeking to harm the “benevolent and compassionate image of His Holiness”.

They said the wilful actions of these conspirators and opponents of peace and universal brotherhood are vain bids to defame and discredit His Holiness and to belittle His stature as the epitome of peace and symbol of compassion.

“The misconstrued presentation of facts by vested interests has hurt the feelings of the millions who find a ray of hope in him at a time when the world is facing strife and conflicts due to mistrust, deceit and selfish motives,” said the statement.

On Friday, the Ladakh Buddhist Association and Ladakh Gonpa Association addressed a press conference in Leh condemning the misrepresentation of Dalai Lama.

Earlier, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Member of Parliament representing Ladakh, said it is disheartening to see baseless and malicious allegations being levelled against the Dalai Lama.

“We must remember that the teachings of Buddhism are grounded in principles of peace and non-violence and baseless accusations have no place in such principles. We must remain vigilant in upholding the truth and ensuring that justice is served. His Holiness's contributions to the world are not limited to his teachings of compassion and empathy,” Namgyal said.

The MP said the Dalai Lama has played a significant role in preserving the cultural heritage of Tibet and promoting environmental sustainability. 

He said, “He has been a strong advocate for human rights and has worked tirelessly to promote peace and non-violence.

“As the Member of Parliament representing the people of Ladakh, I am proud to stand in solidarity with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and express our gratitude for his continued support and inspiration. We recognize the immense contributions that he has made towards creating a more compassionate and peaceful world, and we pledge to continue to work towards this goal together.”

Namgyal said the Dalai Lama's teachings and tireless efforts towards preserving the Nalanda Tradition and Tibetan cultural heritage have been a source of inspiration not just for the people of Ladakh but for the entire world.

“In the midst of the conflicts and divisive rhetoric that plague our world, His Holiness's message of compassion, love, and empathy is more relevant than ever,” said Namgyal.

Namgyal said as a global peace leader, the Dalai Lama has shown unwavering commitment towards justice and peace, and his contributions towards promoting human values and religious harmony have been immeasurable. His visits to Ladakh have brought hope and joy to countless individuals, and we are deeply grateful for his continued support.