IndiaThe Dalai Lama, the 85-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, has been administered with the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine at a hospital in India. Dr GD Gupta of Zonal Hospital, where the shot was administered, told reporters that the Dalai Lama was observed for 30 minutes afterwards. The Dalai Lama made Dharmsala his headquarters in 1959, fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. China does not recognise the Tibetan government-in-exile and accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China. The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he merely advocates for substantial autonomy and protection of the region’s native Buddhist culture.

Source: The Irish Times March 06, 2021 10:41 UTC