Anurag reaches Leh, visits forward village
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 11: Tibetan spiritual leader The Dalai Lama today expressed hope that one day he will visit Lhasa in Tibet and asserted that the Chinese way of thinking is changing slowly.
He made these remarks at Jevetsal, a Buddhist religious place on his arrival at Leh today in the Union Territory of Ladakh from New Delhi on over a month-long visit.
The Dalai Lama said he is 88 years of age but almost perfect in health and that he hopes to live till the age of 110 and expressed confidence that one day he will visit Lhasa in Tibet.
He asserted that the Chinese way of thinking is also changing gradually.
Maintaining that he is very happy to be back in Ladakh as the weather is good which suits his health, the Tibetan spiritual leader said the people of Ladakh have always showered love on him.
“I will like to visit Ladakh again and again as I feel happy to be with the people there,” he said.
He announced that he would like to mix up with Ladakhis in next few weeks and also deliver few preaching.
The Dalai Lama wanted to know whether there were some families from Lhasa in Ladakh. The religious leaders accompanying him said there were few merchants from Lhasa.
Earlier, the Dalai Lama reached Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh on over a month-long visit and was accorded warm welcome by the people.
He is expected to stay in the Union Territory of Ladakh for over a month and will visit various religious places.
The Dalai Lama was scheduled to reach Leh yesterday but couldn’t due to cancellation of flight from New Delhi because of bad weather conditions.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Services and Sports Anurag Thakur today reached Leh on a two-day visit. He too was scheduled to reach Leh yesterday but had to defer visit due to cancellation of flight.
Thakur accompanied by BJP MP from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgayal met the local leaders and later left for forward village of Karzok as part of Union Ministers’ visits under ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’.
He will stay in the village for the night interacting with the villagers and listening to their issues.
The Central Government has launched the Vibrant Villages Programme to develop infrastructure and generate all facilities in the villages located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China so that people stay there and don’t migrate.
“All Union Ministers will one-by-one visit the villages located close to the LAC with China,” the officials said.
Several Union Ministers have already visited Ladakh as part of the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’.
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