The Statesman
NEW DELHI, India, 11 March 1964
During their meeting last week, the brother of the Dalai Lama told the Foreign Secretary that the Dalai Lama contemplated visiting some Buddhist and other neighbouring countries.
The Foreign Secretary had explained that the Government would have no objection to the Dalai Lama’s visit to “some of these countries.”
When the Minister without Portfolio, Mr Lal Bahadur Shastri, revealed this by way of clarifying a statement he had made in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Mr HV Kamath wanted to know which countries the Dalai Lama wished to visit.
Mr Shastri replied that the details could be known only after further discussions were held with the Dalai Lama’s brother or some other representative of the Dalai Lama. Last week’s talk with the Foreign Secretary was of a general nature and the Government did not know of any specific tour programme being drawn up for the Dalai Lama.
Professor NG Ranga welcomed “this change in the Government’s attitude” and added that the Dalai Lama should be made to feel free to visit any country of his choice to acquaint people there of the privations his countrymen were now suffering.
Mr Shastri replied in the negative to a question by a Communist member who wanted to know if the Dalai Lama had expressed a desire to settle down in a Buddhist country.
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