(TibetanReview.net, May05’19) – One-on-one meetings with the Dalai Lama at his residence will be limited and only group audiences will be the norm henceforth, reported tribuneindia.com May 3. The report said the decision followed a meeting attended, among others, by former PM of Tibetan government in exile and close aide of the Dalai Lama Samdhong Rinpoche and various secretaries of the office of the Tibetan spiritual head (sic).
The report also cited sources as saying henceforth there would not be any receiving lines for meeting the Dalai Lama. Rather, those seeking audience would gather in a group in a hall and the Dalai Lama would come and address them.
However, limited personal one to one audiences as deemed fit by the mission of the Dalai Lama would be allowed, the report said (sic).
The reason appears to be health and security concerns, given the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s advanced aged. The report said the purpose of limiting meetings to group audiences was to avoid personal touch with the Dalai Lama. In this connection, taking of photos with him, which has been a routine matter during meetings with him, will also be reportedly curtained.
