Leh: A shutdown was observed in Leh and a few parts of Kargil district in support of Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Monday. The shutdown call was given by the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), the Ladakh Gonpa Association (LGA) and many Muslim organisations, including Anjuman Imamia, Leh.
The call for the shutdown was given by the Ladakh Buddhist Association and the Ladakh Gumpa Association, which claimed that the controversy over the video was aimed at tarnishing the Dalai Lama’s image.
Holding placards, hundreds of people came out on streets in Leh town in support of Dalai Lama. They said a malicious propaganda had been unleashed against the spiritual leader after a video went viral, purportedly showing the spiritual leader having a conversation with a child, which a few people termed as unsettling.
Several social media users had denounced the Dalai Lama’s video as “disgusting” and “shameful”. However, many Tibetans claimed that the video was misinterpreted. In Tibet, sticking out one’s tongue is reportedly a traditional form of greeting, they said.
Penpa Tsering, the head of Tibet’s government-in-exile, blamed “pro-Chinese sources” of widely sharing the video on social media, reported the BBC. However, he did not cite any evidence to back his claim.
On April 10, the Dalai Lama’s office had issued an apology for the incident. However, the statement added that the spiritual leader “often teases people in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before the camera”.
