Dalai Lama wishes President Murmu on eve of her 67th birthday

Dharamsala, June 19 (PTI) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday wished President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of her 67th birthday.

In a letter to the president, which was also uploaded on the Central Tibetan Administration portal, the Dalai Lama wished Murmu happiness, good health and success in "leading this great country".

"As you know, after being forced to flee Tibet following the Tibetan people's uprising against the People's Republic of China authorities in March 1959, I spent the major part of my life in India and I, therefore, feel a special closeness to this country," the spiritual leader said.

He also said that over and above being the most populous country in the world, and the largest democracy, India has a vast resource of ancient wisdom, and if this is combined with modern education, it will make a beneficial contribution to greater peace and happiness in the world.

"As Tibetans, we are deeply indebted to the government and the people of India for the warm hospitality they have shown us for more than 66 years.

"We are also most grateful for the generous support we received in our endeavours to protect and preserve our Buddhist culture that is founded on India's age-old values of 'karuna' and 'ahimsa'," the Dalai Lama said. PTI COR BPL ARI