Tibet’s government-in-exile has defended the Dalai Lama after an outcry over a video showing the spiritual leader kissing a child on the lips and telling him to “suck my tongue”.
The Dalai Lama, whom Tibetans worship as a “living god”, apologized to the minor boy and his family following the controversy over the video. His team had said that the 87-year-old spiritual leader “often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful manner.”
Lobsang Sangay, the first chairman of the Central Tibetan Administration, said on Wednesday that the Dalai Lama is a fickle person, but acknowledged that his actions were seen as “politically incorrect” from a non-Tibetan perspective.
He also questioned the timing of the outcry, stating the incident happened on February 28. “Why is this going viral now – five weeks later?”
“People should understand, if you saw the video with the boy, Tibetans would say that the boy was so lucky that he was even hugged and kissed by His Holiness. But from Western and other points of view, I understand that it was politically Wrong,” Mr Sangay said.
He referred to the apology issued by the spiritual leader’s office and said, “This should be the end of the story. People should move on”.
He also said that the Dalai Lama plays pranks on people even in formal meetings and shared several such examples.
The Dalai Lama told then-President Barack Obama during his visit to the White House that he had big ears and played them, Mr. Sangay recalled.
“She is pure and has no bad intentions,” he said.