Watch: 10-km Human Chain Welcomes Dalai Lama To Ladakh
NDTV
The Dalai Lama is on a two-day official visit to Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
A 10-km human chain with thousands on the streets of Leh welcomed the Dalai Lama on his first visit to Ladakh since it was carved out as a separate Union Territory three years ago.
Wasting little time in addressing the elephant in the room - China's objections to the Tibetan Buddhist leader's visit to the region - the 87-year-old said, "India and China are both competitive nations and neighbours, sooner or later you have to solve this problem through talks and peaceful means. The use of military force is outdated."
The spiritual leader is on a two-day official visit to Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh. He left for Ladakh after a stopover in Jammu, where he had arrived on Thursday from his base in Dharamshala.
Talking to reporters in Jammu on Thursday, the Dalai Lama said that the majority of people in China realise that he is not seeking independence within China but meaningful autonomy and preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture.
