US Ambassador to India wishes Dalai Lama on his birthday

US Ambassador to India Kenneth I. Juster on Monday wished Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on his 85th birthday.

"On behalf of the US government and the American people, we congratulate His Holiness Dalai Lama on his 85th birthday. It is our privilege to work with His Holiness to advance the values that Americans and Tibetans share," Juster tweeted.

He also tweeted a video saying, "The story of your life and in particular the 61 years that you have spent in India has inspired all of us. Your perseverance and achievements are a testament to the power of religious faith and non-violent resistance and standing firm against injustice."

"You often described yourself as a child of India, as the US Ambassador to India it has been my priviledge to work with you and your colleagues to advance the values that Americans and Tibetans share and ties between us. I have very much enjoyed the time that we have spent together and I only regret that I cannot be with you in person to wish you a very Happy Birthday," he added.

Besides Juster, several other leaders from around the world including US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Indian Minister Kiren Rijiju, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, wished Dalai Lama on his birthday.

He is the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. He describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk. He was born on July 6, 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the age of two, the child, then named Lhamo Dhondup, was recognised as the reincarnation of the previous 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso.

In 1950, after China's invasion of Tibet, he was called upon to assume full political power. In 1954, he went to Beijing and met with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping and Chou Enlai. However, in 1959, following the brutal suppression of the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops, he was forced to escape into exile. Since then he has been living in Dharamsala.

( With inputs from ANI )