Tibetan PM wishes success to Indian PM Modi on Independence Day

Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile, Lobsang Sangay, wished Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a successful term as the country marked its 68th Independence Day on Friday (August 15).

The Tibetan PM-in-exile greeted Indians on the occasion of Independence Day and said India's rise would mean Tibet's growth too.

"Today, this is the first year of Narendra Modi's prime ministership and on behalf of all the Tibetans, I wish Narendra Modi and his team of cabinet a very successful term because we always see the success of India as success for Tibetans," said Sangay in hill town Dharamsala in northern province of Himachal Pradesh.

Modi, who sworn-in as the PM a little over two months ago, gave his maiden I-Day speech in New Delhi, addressing the issues of poverty and sharing his vision of a digital India.

Meanwhile, Sangay also aspired for Tibetans' own land's independence and for the return of spiritual leader Dalai Lama to Tibet.

"The aspiration of Tibetans inside Tibet is that Dalai Lama return to Tibet and freedom be restored one day and I hope it will be soon," he said.

Dharamsala has been the global headquarters of Tibetan exiles since 1959. Many settled there after walking for weeks across the Tibetan plateau, bringing with them tales of torture.

Thousands of people, including the Dalai Lama, had fled into exile in India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and since then have been living in various refugee colonies, settlements across India.