By IANS,
Dharamsala : Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has planned a visit to Arunachal Pradesh in the second week of November, an aide said Thursday.
The Dalai Lama had to cancel his visit to the state last year after the Indian government refused to grant him permission.
“The proposed visit of His Holiness to Arunachal Pradesh has been planned in the second week of November. However, the details are yet to be worked out,” Chimme Choekyappa, private secretary to the Dalai Lama, told IANS.
“Right now I can’t comment about the places he is likely to visit. The itinerary is being worked out.”
The Dalai Lama’s office here is keeping the Nobel laureate’s trip to Arunachal a low key affair because it is feared that this could upset the Chinese who claim the region has historically been part of Tibet.
Last year, the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister visited Dharamsala to invite the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang to inaugurate a hospital. The Dalai Lama has contributed Rs.2 million for its construction.
Tawang is home to one of most sacred Buddhist monasteries. The Dalai Lama passed through this region when he fled into exile in 1959. Moreover, the sixth Dalai Lama was born there in the 17th century.
The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Communist rule over Tibet. His government-in-exile is based in Dharamsala. It is not recognised by any country.