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Dalai Lama holds first in-person meeting since March 2020
The Dalai Lama granted first in-person audience to Sikyong (president) of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Penpa Tsering on Wednesday
The doors of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s palace at McLeodganj have been reopened for public for in-person audience for the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak in March last year.
The Dalai Lama granted first in-person audience to Sikyong (president) of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Penpa Tsering on Wednesday.
It was also Tsering’s first official in-person audience with the Dalai Lama since he assumed the responsibility of Sikyong in May 2021.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Tsering pledged to work towards the resolution of the Sino-Tibetan conflict.
“Since March 2020, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has not met any member of the public in-person due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, he has resumed in-person meetings with the public and the first audience was granted to me as Sikyong,” said Tsering.
Gradually, the Dalai Lama will start granting audiences to one or two members of the public, although it still would not be possible for the large majority of the people, he said.
Tsering’s last in-person audience with the Dalai Lama was in October 2017, though he received four online audiences with the spiritual leader after assuming the office
“I also pledge to perform my duties with the blessings and advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve the Tibetan public and our common cause,” Tsering said.
