Dalai Lama praises Christians for offering education to Tibetans

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Tuesday kickstarted the 'Thank You India' campaign to express his gratitude towards the country for its support and protection rendered to the Tibetan community for 50 years.

The Nobel laureate leader, on the occasion, offered prayers at different religious shrines, including a church where he thanked the Christian institutions for providing education to the Tibetan youth.

"Since the last 50 years, we have very close relationship with our Christian brothers and sisters. So it's my duty to express my thanks to Christians and many schools and colleges in India for taking care of the education of Tibetan boys and girls here. Thank you very much," he said.

On March 31, 1959, Dalai Lama evaded Chinese troops and entered India through the region of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh where the Indian government provided political asylum to him and thousands of other exiled Tibetans.

The 74-year-old Buddhist monk said he wanted to use the occasion to "tell India how much it has done for the Tibetan refugee community and himself." "We are burdened to thank India," he said.

"The non-sectarian principles are very much alive in this country. Fifty years ago, I came to India as a 24-year-old homeless refugee and have been greatly inspired since then by great leaders like (first prime minister) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru."

"I call myself a son of India. Over the years Tibetans have developed very close ties with the country," sources quoted him saying.

During his 'Pray for India' campaign, he visited eight places of worship and urged the religious communities to spread communal harmony and secularism.

India is home to nearly 100,000 Tibetan refugees.