In a strong bipartisan appeal, Indian lawmakers have united to request that the Central government confer the Bharat Ratna — India’s highest civilian honor — on Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. They have also called for the revered figure to be allowed to address a joint session of Parliament, a move that may trigger a diplomatic reaction from China.
The proposal stems from the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, a cross-party group that includes members from the BJP, BJD, JD(U), and other parties. According to The Economic Times, the forum submitted a formal letter to the government after passing a resolution in its second meeting this month.
A ten-member committee within the group has been spearheading a signature campaign to support the Dalai Lama’s Bharat Ratna nomination. So far, around 80 MPs have backed the proposal, with the forum aiming to gather 100 signatures before officially submitting the memorandum to both the Prime Minister and the President.
Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar, a key voice behind the campaign, told the media that the initiative has support from members across political lines, including opposition parties. “We’ve received enthusiastic support. Many MPs have signed the memorandum, and some have even sent video messages,” he said. The forum also intends to request the Speakers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to convene a joint sitting of Parliament where the Dalai Lama could deliver an address.
This initiative coincides with the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations, held at the Tsuglagkhang Temple in Dharamshala. Thousands of followers and well-wishers attended the festivities, along with Indian and international dignitaries. Among them were Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Sikkim’s Sonam Lama, and actor Richard Gere.
The spiritual leader, who has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet in the 1960s, recently clarified that the tradition of the Dalai Lama will continue. He stated that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust holds the authority to recognize his reincarnation — a direct message to counter attempts by external forces to interfere in Tibetan spiritual matters.
