August 14, 1997

On the 50th anniversary of Indian independence, I on behalf of the Tibetan people and on my own behalf, would like to extend my heartfelt felicitations and good wishes to the Government and the people of India. It is the Tibetan people's sincere hope that India will continue to march on the road to freedom, democracy, prosperity and secularism.

Out of these 50 years, we Tibetan refugees have made India our second home for the last 38 years and we have been made welcome, looked after and treated like any citizen of this great and wonderful country. For this we are most grateful.

We Tibetans consider ourselves the child of Indian civilization. And since the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet from India, Tibetan society has been transformed into a unique Buddhist civilization. To the Tibetans India is always Gyakar Phagpai Yul (India, the Arya Bhumi). More recently, the late Shri Morarji Desai, when he was the Prime Minister, once told me that India and Tibet are like branches of the same Bodhi tree.

Despite its many problems, India has stuck to its democratic principles and has emerged as a potentially dynamic economy. Today India is self-sufficient, economically vibrant, and the world's largest democratic country. It is a force to be reckoned with not only in Asia but also in the world. India, therefore, has a very important role to play. It can be a model for other nations and peoples who are still striving to build civil societies, to institutionalise democratic values of free expression and religion, and to find strength in diversity. India can also lead other nations by formulating principled, courageous and imaginative policies on regional and international issues.

I have been deeply inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent movement in achieving India's freedom. I have, therefore, put this into practice in my own efforts to restore the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people.

All of us human beings want freedom and the right to determine our own destiny. Having lost our land and freedom to China, and having had centuries-old historical and cultural relationship with India, we Tibetans can very well understand the Indian jubilation in commemorating the 50th anniversary of their country's independecne. The Tibetan people and I are happy to join our Indian brothers and sisters in celebrating this historic moment.