Spiritual head of Tibetans Dalai Lama, who landed in a controversy over a video of him asking a child to “suck his tongue” went viral, apologized and stated that he regretted the incident.
The controversy blew up after a clip of him kissing a child on the lips and subsequently requesting the child to “suck his tongue” sparked a row on Sunday. The video went viral and created a flutter. Social media and micro-blogging sites widely criticized the incident.
THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT
The statement, issued on Monday, said “A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.” “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident,” it said.
TIBETAN CULTURE
In traditional Tibetan culture, it is said that sticking out one’s tongue is a show of respect or agreement and was frequently done as a greeting. Lang Darma, a wicked 9th century Tibetan monarch, was described to have a ‘black tongue’. Tibetans, who are Buddhists, believe in reincarnation and were concerned that the king might be reborn. As a result, Tibetans have greeted one another for generations by putting out their tongues, proving that they do not have black tongues, are not guilty of wicked actions, and are not avatars of the malicious king.
PAST CONTROVERSIES
Dalai Lama is not new to controversies. In 2019, the Dalai Lama stated that if a woman succeeds him, she should be “more attractive. The same year, he sparked outrage when he remarked of immigrants, “Europe belongs to the Europeans.”
The Dalai Lama in 2018 had stated that India and Pakistan would have remained unified if Mahatma Gandhi’s ambition for Muhammad Ali Jinnah to become India’s first prime minister had come true.
