New Delhi, India - Indian ministers Saturday stayed away from a function to honour the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in New Delhi after a government missive said that attending the event would be against the country's foreign policy. Federal Cabinet Secretary, KM Chandrasekhar, a top Indian government official, wrote to the ministers that attending the function was "not in conformity with the foreign policy of the Government. And, therefore, you are directed not to accept the invitation," the NDTV network reported, quoting from a classified advisory.
The function organized by the Gandhi Peace Foundation and the All- Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet honoured the exiled leader for receiving the US Congressional Gold Medal.
As expected, ministers, including Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and senior officials who received Chandrasekhar's letter on Friday, did not turn up at the event.
The organizers told NDTV that though Indian ministers were keeping away from such functions in recent times, they were surprised as they expected the ministers to participate as the 72-year-old Dalai Lama was given a prestigious award.
"There was no government representative, I don't know what the cause of their absence is ... it may be that the reason is diplomatic," an organizer told the news channel.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama played down the controversy. When asked whether representatives of the Indian government should have been present at the event, he replied, "No, I don't think so, since it's a private function."
He dismissed the suggestion that he was slighted by the incident and told reporters that he had "excellent relations" with the Indian government.
US President George W Bush on October 17 presented the Dalai Lama with the highest US civilian award, defying Chinese protests at an ceremony that honoured the Dalai Lama as a fighter for religious freedom.
China, which has long contended that the Dalai Lama has been seeking to destroy its sovereignty by advocating independence for Tibet, said the US had "gravely undermined" its ties with Beijing by giving the honour.
Over the past few months, several world leaders have voiced concern over the human rights situation in Tibet.
In September, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met the Dalai Lama in her office, irking China. Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, Australian Prime Minister John Howard as well as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also met the Tibetan leader despite Chinese opposition.
India, however, wants to prevent a diplomatic tangle with China with which its relations are on the upswing amid increased trade ties, after decades of strained relations following a 1962 war.
New Delhi had recognized the Dalai Lama and has allowed the Tibetan government-in-exile to operate from Indian soil after the Buddhist leader and his followers fled Tibet in 1959 following a crackdown by Chinese troops on a Tibetan uprising against its occupation.
But the Indian policy toward Tibet has changed over the years - from supporting Tibetan rebels in the 1950s and the 1960s to the current balancing act with New Delhi urging both sides to reach an amicable settlement.