Dalai Lama to return to Tibet soon: Sangay

Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay Tuesday said Dalai Lama would return to his homeland Tibet soon.

"He (Dalai Lama) will very soon return to Tibet. The universal slogan is we want to see the return of Dalai Lama to Tibet. Given a choice, Tibetans will like to be led by a Tibetan rather than governed by the Chinese," Sangay told journalists.

"That's why I left America; I left my job at Harvard to come to India so that we can all go back to Tibet," he said.

Sangay, who is accompanying the Tibetan spiritual leader on his visit Feb 1-5 to Meghalaya and Assam, also visited Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang and Bomdilla districts to trace the routes of the Dalai Lama and his parents while escaping from Tibet to India.

Sangay added: "Tibetan administration follows the middle-way-policy (meaning between repression and separation), as we want to see an immediate end to the sufferings of the people in Tibet, for which we are willing to compromise in seeking separation from China, if we are given full autonomy in future."

Sangay, who took over political responsibilities from the Dalai Lama in 2011, said the Tibetans are looking forward to the Chinese leadership to resolve the Tibet issue. "Since January 2010, we didn't have any formal dialogue with the Chinese government. We believe in a peaceful dialogue to solve the issue," he said.

"We look forward to the new Chinese leadership. We hope they will also believe wisely that dialogue is the way to solve the issue to Tibet for their own interest as they want respect from the international community and they ought to show respect to the Tibetan people," Sangay said.

"Whatever we are seeking is within the provisions of the Chinese constitution as per article 4 of its constitution, it speaks about the Minority Act, 1984."

Asked about India's role to resolve the vexed Tibet issue, Sangay said: "India has a very important role. The relation goes back centuries, India is our 'guru' and we are India's 'chela'."

"I think China-Tibet issue is one of the core issues, and in that case, Tibet should also be core issue of India, environmentally, spiritually, geo-politically, every reason, so India could play a very constructive role. Having said that, we always remember India has been the most generous country for Tibetan people. The Indian government has been supportive on humanitarian issues as well," he added.

On self-immolations in Tibet, he said: "The universal slogan of those who self-immolate is they want to see the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet and by getting general autonomy, we are fulfilling that and also restoring the freedom and dignity of the people of Tibet."

"Tibetans are frustrated and desperate due to the political repression, economic marginalisation, environmental destruction, social discrimination, cultural assimilation of the hardline Chinese policies towards them (Tibetans)," he said.