April 15, 2023, 11:18 AM
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Tibet's government-in-exile defended the Dalai Lama over the recent tongue incident, which went viral.
Dalai Lama was "unfairly labelled"
Penpa Tsering, the political leader of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration, said on Apr. 13, 2023 that the Dalai Lama was "unfairly labelled with all kinds of names that really hurt the sentiment of all his followers", Reuters reported.
His remark came after a recent viral video of the Dalai Lama apparently asking a boy to suck on his tongue, drawing flak from scores of individuals online.
Tsering explained that the incident was an example of the Dalai Lama's "innocent grandfatherly affectionate demeanour", which he said has been misinterpreted.
He added that the Dalai Lama has always lived in "sanctity and celibacy", and that his years of spiritual practice had taken the Dalai Lama "beyond the sensorial pleasures", BBC reported.
He claimed investigations suggested that "pro-Chinese sources" were involved in making the video go viral, adding that "the political angle of this incident cannot be ignored", though BBC added the caveat that he did not give any evidence for that claim.
Background
The incident in the viral video took place at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharamshala, where he was meeting students at an event.
In the video, the Dalai Lama could be seen pointing at his cheek and saying "first here" when the boy asked if he could give him a hug.
The boy kissed his cheek and gave him a hug before the Dalai Lama pointed at his lips and said "I think here also", before he kissed the boy on the lips.
Claps could be heard in the background.
The Dalai Lama then put his forehead against the boy's, asked the child to suck his tongue, and stuck his tongue out at the boy.
Laughs could be heard in the background when he did so.
Incident drew flak
The video caught the attention of many online and the Dalai Lama drew flak for his actions.
This included an India-based non-governmental organisation that criticised the Dalai Lama for child abuse.
Dalai Lama extends apology
The Dalai Lama's office released a statement on Apr. 10, stating that the Dalai Lama regrets the incident and would like to apologise to the boy and his family.
The statement added, "His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras."
Tibetan custom
The BBC pointed out that sticking one's tongue out is considered a form of greeting in Tibet, as mentioned in their 2014 article.
There are also other explanations of the incident.
According to the website Elephant Journal and a Tibetan woman who defended the Dalai Lama in a Facebook post, it is common for elders and young children to have kisses on the lips.
They added that it is also common for elders to stick out their tongues to children before telling them to "che le sa" or "nge che le jip", which roughly translates to "eat" my tongue, and explained that it is merely an innocent and playful gesture.
The author on Elephant Journal suggested that the Dalai Lama's intentions were lost in translation during the incident, claiming that he "misspoke" as English was not his first language.
Boy spoke favourably post encounter
In subsequent videos that arose after the incident, the boy involved appeared to speak favourably of his encounter with the Dalai Lama.
Related story
Top image from Tenzin Pema/Facebook and India Today/YouTube
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