The leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile has defended the Dalai Lama after a video surfaced showing the Buddhist leader encouraging a kid to suck his tongue. According to the president of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the episode highlighted the Dalai Lama’s innocent and loving side. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize issued an apology after video footage from a public event went viral, in which he can be seen kissing the boy on the lips and also appearing to give the boy a peck on the lips.
This led to a wave of criticism on social media that his actions amounted to abuse, and the video prompted the Nobel Peace Prize recipient to issue his apology. Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong, also known as the political leader of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration, stated on Thursday that the Dalai Lama had been “unfairly labelled with all kinds of labels that greatly hurt the sentiment of all his supporters.” Tsering told reporters in New Delhi that the “innocent grandfatherly caring demeanor” depicted in the clip had been misconstrued. He said that a life of celibacy and spiritual practice had moved the Dalai Lama “beyond the sensory pleasures.” The video clip, which was recorded in February and has been circulating this month, has received more than one million views on Twitter. Tsering stated that investigations proved that “pro-Chinese sources” were engaged in making it go viral, and he added that “the political dimension of this affair cannot be overlooked.” China views the Dalai Lama as a “dangerous separatist” despite the fact that he has lived in exile in India since 1959, following the failure of an uprising against Chinese authority in Tibet.
Since fleeing Tibet in 1959 following a failed rebellion against Chinese control, the Dalai Lama has made the town of Dharamshala in the Himalayas his headquarters. Notwithstanding the fact that it is home to Tibetan refugees, India believes Tibet to be a part of China. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize has spent decades cultivating international support for the preservation of linguistic and cultural autonomy in his birthplace, which is located in an inaccessible mountainous region.
