Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Madhav on Friday told Tibetans living in exile that they are not refugees and India is their land.
Addressing the event to mark the 60th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's arrival in India, Madhav said, "India has always played an affectionate and endearing host to all those who chose its lands as a temporary home and spiritual abode. Jews came, Parsees came and many others too landed in India seeking refuge. India has welcomed them with open arms and with an open heart."
He added: "Refugees end up not only as stateless people but even identity-less. They are forced to lead miserable lives. But that has not been the case with the Tibetan refugees, thanks to the care taken by Holiness and his administration right from the beginning. Friends we don't want to use the word refugee (for you). This is your land. At the most, you are in exile and Tibet is waiting for you."
The BJP leader said, "His Holiness says that the blood of Tibetan exiles in India is made of the rice and dal and roti that they ate all these years. Thus this land belongs as much to you as is it to us."
Madhav termed The Dalai Lama as personification of truth, love and peace.
"Holiness is a personification of truth, love and peace. On this 60th annual day of exile, we wish our Tibetan brothers and sisters happiness and peace, and success in all their endeavours through peace, democracy, dialogue and accommodation," he concluded.
Union MoS Culture Mahesh Sharma, Members of Parliament Shanta Kumar and Satyavrat Chaturvedi were also present at the 'Thank You India' event along with functionalities of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
The event was organized by the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala marking the beginning of the 60th year of his exile in India on Saturday.
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